Pederson out as NU's AD
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Steve Pederson is out as Nebraska’s athletic director. It was announced at 2:15 Monday afternoon in a press release by Chancellor Harvey Perlman.
Perlman said he believes Pederson is no longer positioned to move the athletic department forward.
“We are of course disappointed about the progress in our football program. Steve has done many positive things for Husker athletics during his tenure but I think only new leadership can objectively assess the state of our program and make the decisions necessary to move us forward,” Perlman said.
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Blog about it at Life In The Red
12.2.03: Editorial: Pederson puts it all on the line
12.9.03: Osborne: Solich's firing did hurt a bit
12.22.03: Pederson created stir at Pittsburgh, but turned critics into fans
12.22.03: After college, Pederson had one focus
12.22.03: Pederson a good son, student, brother and friend -- not singer
1.12.04: Pederson justifies coaching search process
1.19.04: Regents greenlight athletic expansion
2.22.04: Coaches as divided as NU fans
6.20.04: NU loses ground in all-sports race
6.26.04: Open your eyes, Nebraska: Pederson's no enemy
8.21.04: Pederson was NU's chief of change
11.27.04: Pederson remains optimistic after 5-6 season
1.25.05: NU to stick with adidas
3.10.05: Pederson: Collier will stay at NU
6.10.05: NU gets nod to add skyboxes
11.7.05: Steven M. Sipple: It takes work to feel optimistic about NU's future
11.26.05: Huskers 'restore the order' at CU
6.20.06: Epley leaving Husker program
8.7.06: Sadler is new Husker hoops coach
8.30.06: Pederson unveils $50 million baby
10.31.06: Tami Pederson: A woman of note
7.24.07: Pederson extension good for Callahan
Perceived mishandling of Frank Solich’s firing. Pederson fired Frank Solich on Nov. 30, 2003, a day after the sixth-year football coach completed a 9-3 regular season. It’s a move that rankled many fans and pleased many others. Problem was, news of Solich’s impending dismissal leaked a week prior to Pederson’s announcement.
The long search for a football coach. Finding Solich’s replacement took 41 days. Pederson kept fans and media in the dark the entire time, not offering any updates on the process until a Jan. 3 press conference, when he denied having offered the job to anyone. Several coaches rejected Pederson’s overtures, including Arkansas coach Houston Nutt, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders.
The football program’s struggles. Pederson’s biggest hire, Bill Callahan, hasn’t produced the desired results. Under Callahan’s watch, the Huskers endured the worst defeat in school history, suffered through the school’s first losing record since 1961 and had their streak of 35 consecutive bowl appearances snapped. Nebraska rebounded to win the Big 12 North title last season, but this year is 4-3, with losses of 49-31 to USC, 41-6 at Missouri and 45-14 to Oklahoma State, the worst home loss since 1958.
Morale in the athletic department. Some key members of Pederson’s staff have left, including Paul Meyers, associate athletic director for major gifts, and Paul Miles, associate athletic director for marketing. Meyers said he resigned for personal reasons. Prominent booster Howard Hawks said Meyers’ departure “leaves a big hole in terms of (financial) development.” Meyers’ resignation was to be effective Monday.
Disconnect with fans. The firing of Solich and the hiring of Callahan created a fan divide this state isn’t accustomed to. Some vowed to stop offering financial support, creating a perceived notion that fundraising, particularly for the North Stadium expansion, was going slower than expected. As of late last month, Nebraska had received cash and pledges totaling $31 million toward the goal of $40 million for the North Stadium project.
Highlights
The hiring of Doc Sadler. It’s too early to judge for certain whether Sadler can take the Nebraska’s men’s basketball program to another level. But early returns are quite favorable. The outgoing Sadler has been wildly popular with fans, tickets sales are up and morale around the program is the highest it’s been in years.
The 2006 volleyball national championship. Some will point out that Pederson had nothing to do with the program’s success, but anytime an athletic program wins a national championship, it’s a feather in the cap of the A.D.
North Stadium expansion project. Nebraska was in dire need of a football facilities upgrade, and Pederson spearheaded that effort. The expansion increased Memorial Stadium’s capacity to 81,067 and offered better fan amenities, while the new football locker room, weight room, indoor practice building and training facilities helped boost recruiting efforts.
Financial stability. Nebraska’s self-supporting athletic department has remained in sound financial shape. The department’s $66.7 million budget for 2007-98 includes a drop in spending offset by larger reduction in its debt obligations.
Regional and national contributions. Pederson was a key figure in helping reshape the Big 12 Conference’s television package this season. He served as chairman of the NCAA Football Issues Committee, starting in 2006. He’s been a vocal leader in an effort to seek five years of eligibility for football players.
The move comes two days after Nebraska’s football team suffered its worst home loss since 1958, prompting widespread concern about the direction of the football program under Pederson’s most notable hire, Bill Callahan.
Less than three months ago, Perlman extended Pederson’s contract through June 2013.
But since then, Perlman said he has noted a decline in morale in the athletic department, and growing concern about retention of key personnel.
“You make the best decision you can with the information you have,” Perlman said.
Perlman said he will immediately initiate conversations to identify an interim athletic director with full authority to assess the state of the athletic department and its athletic programs and to make any decision necessary to advance those programs. He also indicated his intention to consult with a national search consultant to begin the process for selection of a new permanent athletic director.
“It is not clear how long such a process will take or its precise form. It is important it be done expeditiously but thoughtfully,” Perlman said.
Pederson, a North Platte native and University of Nebraska graduate, was hired on Dec. 20, 2002. He’d served the previous six seasons as athletic director at Pittsburgh, where he helped rebuild that program’s facilities.
He initially arrived in Lincoln with great fanfare, lauded by many as a Nebraska native with Midwest values who understood the culture and would fit perfectly in his new position.
“The selection of Steve Pederson in 2003 as athletic director was widely thought to be the only clear choice because of his experience, his roots and his knowledge of our traditions,” Perlman said. “I know Steve made the decisions he thought best for the interests of the program and the university. I am disappointed that I had to come to this decision.”
Those thoughts changed a year later. Pederson fired football coach Frank Solich in December of 2003, saying, “I refuse to let this program gravitate to mediocrity,” and that he wouldn’t surrender the Big 12 Conference to Oklahoma and Texas.
Those are comments critics have used against Pederson after each of Nebraska’s troubling defeats under Callahan’s watch. Callahan, in his fourth season, is 26-18 overall and 14-13 in Big 12 Conference games. Pederson signed Callahan to a five-year contract extension on Sept. 4.
The firing of Solich — which came after Nebraska completed a 9-3 regular season — was followed by a coaching search that lasted more than 40 days, prompting more debate. Pederson was criticized for not being open and honest with public and media.
Pederson has again been recently evasive, refusing to field fans’ calls last week on his weekly radio call-in show.
Pederson finally turned to Callahan, recently fired from the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. Before hiring Callahan on Jan. 9, 2004, several coaches turned down Pederson’s overtures, including Arkansas coach Houston Nutt, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders.
Pederson also helped revamp Nebraska’s football facilities, leading the $40 million expansion of North Stadium — a project that increased Memorial Stadium’s capacity to 81,067 and boosted Nebraska’s recruiting edge with a new locker room, weight room, indoor practice building and training facilities.
Nebraska’s self-supporting athletic department has remained in sound financial shape under Pederson’s watch. Other notable Pederson hires include Nebraska men’s basketball coach Doc Sadler, who’s been widely accepted by fans.
Pederson’s first job in college athletics was as an NU sports information assistant in 1980. He was Nebraska’s recruiting coordinator from 1982-86 and also served as recruiting coordinator at Tennessee and Ohio State. He returned to Lincoln as an associate athletic director for football operations from 1994-96 before leaving for Pittsburgh.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
