Callahan: 'Resignation is not in our vocabulary'
People were sure some big news was going down. They’d heard it on a Top 40 radio station, or from a “reliable” barber, or from their brother’s girlfiend’s second cousin’s fiance, who once saw Marlon Lucky in a Taco Bueno.
Bill Callahan was going to resign.
“My manager said they announced a deal where Cally would resign at the press conference today taking Coz with him,” one anonymous person posted on a message board.
“They said on 98.5 this morning that there is some players who are stepping down today. Again, just heard it on the radio from 98.5. Who knows?” another anonymous person typed onto that same board.
Lots of rumors. Little truth.
The noon hour came and went and the story was that there was no story at all. Just another Tuesday.
Husker coach Bill Callahan showed up to the weekly press conference wearing black, but it wasn’t the funeral being predicted by some in cyberspace.
He paid compliment to radio man Jim Rose in his opening statement, then talked about Kansas State and the “34 defense” it runs.
Resignation?
“This type of staff, they don’t have any quit in them,” Callahan said. “That term resignation is not in our vocabulary.”
This comes just a day after interim athletic director Tom Osborne reiterated the message that he was keeping to his plan of waiting until season’s end to evaluate the coaching staff.
Given that, it now seems apparent neither Osborne or Callahan will budge until after the Nov. 23 regular-season finale at Colorado.
Callahan said he would not be interested in resigning even if the university brass came to him offering more money in a buyout deal.
He said he never got into coaching for the money and that this staff has not let up even in the midst of this five-game losing streak that has the Huskers’ record at 4-6.
“I don’t think we wanted to do this,” Callahan said. “No one told these kids, ‘Hey, don’t go out there and tackle today’ or ‘Don’t go out and rush the passer.’ That wasn’t happening. I think our guys, they coached to the best of their abilities and they did the best they could, and it hasn’t been good enough at this point right now.”
Callahan was brief on words in his pre-game speech before the Kansas game, a 76-39 Jayhawks win, but senior receiver Maurice Purify said the words that were spoken were enough to motivate him.
“This last game against Kansas, he brought us all up and there was a moment of silence and he said, “Let’s just go out there and play.’ That’s all he said and that was powerful,” Purify said. “That means a lot and that got us fired up. There was no words to be said — just go out there and play.”
Much anger has been directed at the Husker coaches, but junior quarterback Joe Ganz said players must take it upon themselves to play with more passion than they’ve been displaying.
“At this point, yeah, the coaches motivate you. But it comes from within. It’s coming from each guy’s personal fire inside, if they really want to do this or not,” Ganz said.
“I think that’s a real big issue, is that we need people with more fire — just to play with more emotion. That’s what we’ve been lacking all year. It’s tough, because you go out there and play with all your heart and you give everything you can, it’s tough to see that lack of emotion.”
Callahan said he’s not shocked by how quickly things have turned for him. Just two months ago, he was being asked about a contract extension he just signed.
Now, he’s being asked by reporters if he’s ready to call it quits.
“The one thing I learned about football is anything can happen. Anything. When you think it’s all going to go right, it can go the other way. When you think it’s going to go the other way, it goes right,” Callahan said.
“It’s a game. It’s a game. And I understand here in Nebraska, it’s more than a game. It’s life. It’s the most important thing to Nebraskans and I share that passion, and I understand it completely.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
Bill Callahan was going to resign.
“My manager said they announced a deal where Cally would resign at the press conference today taking Coz with him,” one anonymous person posted on a message board.
“They said on 98.5 this morning that there is some players who are stepping down today. Again, just heard it on the radio from 98.5. Who knows?” another anonymous person typed onto that same board.
Lots of rumors. Little truth.
The noon hour came and went and the story was that there was no story at all. Just another Tuesday.
Husker coach Bill Callahan showed up to the weekly press conference wearing black, but it wasn’t the funeral being predicted by some in cyberspace.
He paid compliment to radio man Jim Rose in his opening statement, then talked about Kansas State and the “34 defense” it runs.
Resignation?
“This type of staff, they don’t have any quit in them,” Callahan said. “That term resignation is not in our vocabulary.”
This comes just a day after interim athletic director Tom Osborne reiterated the message that he was keeping to his plan of waiting until season’s end to evaluate the coaching staff.
Given that, it now seems apparent neither Osborne or Callahan will budge until after the Nov. 23 regular-season finale at Colorado.
Callahan said he would not be interested in resigning even if the university brass came to him offering more money in a buyout deal.
He said he never got into coaching for the money and that this staff has not let up even in the midst of this five-game losing streak that has the Huskers’ record at 4-6.
“I don’t think we wanted to do this,” Callahan said. “No one told these kids, ‘Hey, don’t go out there and tackle today’ or ‘Don’t go out and rush the passer.’ That wasn’t happening. I think our guys, they coached to the best of their abilities and they did the best they could, and it hasn’t been good enough at this point right now.”
Callahan was brief on words in his pre-game speech before the Kansas game, a 76-39 Jayhawks win, but senior receiver Maurice Purify said the words that were spoken were enough to motivate him.
“This last game against Kansas, he brought us all up and there was a moment of silence and he said, “Let’s just go out there and play.’ That’s all he said and that was powerful,” Purify said. “That means a lot and that got us fired up. There was no words to be said — just go out there and play.”
Much anger has been directed at the Husker coaches, but junior quarterback Joe Ganz said players must take it upon themselves to play with more passion than they’ve been displaying.
“At this point, yeah, the coaches motivate you. But it comes from within. It’s coming from each guy’s personal fire inside, if they really want to do this or not,” Ganz said.
“I think that’s a real big issue, is that we need people with more fire — just to play with more emotion. That’s what we’ve been lacking all year. It’s tough, because you go out there and play with all your heart and you give everything you can, it’s tough to see that lack of emotion.”
Callahan said he’s not shocked by how quickly things have turned for him. Just two months ago, he was being asked about a contract extension he just signed.
Now, he’s being asked by reporters if he’s ready to call it quits.
“The one thing I learned about football is anything can happen. Anything. When you think it’s all going to go right, it can go the other way. When you think it’s going to go the other way, it goes right,” Callahan said.
“It’s a game. It’s a game. And I understand here in Nebraska, it’s more than a game. It’s life. It’s the most important thing to Nebraskans and I share that passion, and I understand it completely.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.