Nebraska to name former Raider coach

NT80 · January 9, 2004

Report: Nebraska to name Callahan football coach

January 9, 2004

LINCOLN, Nebraska (Ticker) - Former Oakland Raiders coach Bill Callahan apparently is leaving one pressure cooker for another.

Callahan will be named the new coach at Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star reported on its website Thursday night.

The newspaper cited a "source close to the situation" in reporting that Callahan is the school's choice to replace Frank Solich, who was fired November 29. University officials could not be reached for comment.

Callahan was seen leaving a Lincoln hotel Thursday night and told reporters, "I'll talk to you guys later." His agent, Gary O'Hagan, told the Journal Star, "Things are progressing. That's all I can say."

Cornhuskers assistant coaches Bo Pelini and Turner Gill also interviewed for the position. Nebraska was rebuffed by Arkansas coach Houston Nutt and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Callahan, 47, was fired by the Raiders on December 31 following a disastrous 4-12 season. A year ago, however, he guided Oakland to its first Super Bowl appearance in 19 years.

Things began to unravel for Oakland at the Super Bowl, where Callahan suspended troubled center Barret Robbins. This season, Callahan lost the respect of several players after calling the Raiders "the dumbest team in America."

Callahan's most outspoken critic was four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson, but he was not alone in his antipathy toward the coach.

"It got to a point where we're literally telling guys in the locker room, 'Nobody hit this guy, OK?'" veteran receiver Tim Brown told the NFL Network.

In Lincoln, Callahan would succeed Solich, whose firing following a 9-3 season focused criticism on athletic director Steve Pederson.

Pelini, Nebraska's defensive coordinator, coached the Cornhuskers to a 17-3 victory over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl.