Osborne ready to visit with recruits
Tom Osborne’s big news Wednesday?
The guy with a doctorate passed his recruiting test.
“He’s a pretty smart guy,” quipped Tim Cassidy, Nebraska’s associate athletic director for football.
So Osborne, Nebraska’s former football coach and current interim athletic director, hits the road today for a couple of days of recruiting.
Naming a football coach must wait. Finding players for that coach is just as important.
“It’s a very unique situation,” Cassidy said of having such a prominent figure, who’s no longer coaching, enticing 18-year-olds to play for Coach X.
“There’s no question that he has clout. Just the kind of person he is.”
What does Osborne tell these kids?
Speaking Wednesday night on the Husker Sports Network’s “Sports Nightly,” Osborne said he’d stress what future players can count on during these uncertain times: Academics, excellent facilities, fan support, quality of life.
“And then we certainly have tradition that would indicate that we have a very good chance to get back to being a dominant football team sometime in the near future,” Osborne said.
Normally, under NCAA rules, only coaches can go on the road recruiting. But according to Cassidy, when there are sudden coaching changes, there is a provision that anybody within the program can be activated as a recruiter, provided that person passes a test.
When your “anybody” is a Hall of Fame coach with three national championship rings, you go with him.
“He’s been a big asset to us in recruiting,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy can’t say specifically where Osborne will be recruiting. But Osborne isn’t the only one on the road for Nebraska. All Husker assistant coaches, except for Phil Elmassian and Kevin Cosgrove, are gone this week, visiting their normal recruiting areas. Schools can only send out seven recruiters.
“Their willingness to go out and do this shows to me that these guys have an interest in being here,” Cassidy said. “It speaks volumes for them, because they’re quality coaches and they’re quality men.
“They’re out doing their absolute best to sell the University of Nebraska. I suspect they’ve had to answer some difficult questions.”
With Osborne out of the office recruiting, and with no interim coach in place, Cassidy and other members of the Nebraska support staff are working to keep things afloat in Lincoln.
“There’s plenty to keep us busy,” Cassidy said. “At this time of year, with the exception of the recruiting, it’s not a difficult task, because typically this time of year, the coaches would’ve been on the road anyway.”
What’s in Cassidy’s future?
With his former employer, Texas A&M, hiring his good friend and former colleague Mike Sherman this week, Cassidy understands there will speculation about the possibility of him returning to College Station.
Cassidy, an Omaha native, wouldn’t deny interest but also said he’s “gainfully employed” and very happy in Lincoln and working with Osborne.
“Tom Osborne has been unbelievable to me,” Cassidy said. “He is exactly what you see. He’s treated me with the absolute, utmost respect. He’s been great to work with.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
The guy with a doctorate passed his recruiting test.
“He’s a pretty smart guy,” quipped Tim Cassidy, Nebraska’s associate athletic director for football.
So Osborne, Nebraska’s former football coach and current interim athletic director, hits the road today for a couple of days of recruiting.
Naming a football coach must wait. Finding players for that coach is just as important.
“It’s a very unique situation,” Cassidy said of having such a prominent figure, who’s no longer coaching, enticing 18-year-olds to play for Coach X.
“There’s no question that he has clout. Just the kind of person he is.”
What does Osborne tell these kids?
Speaking Wednesday night on the Husker Sports Network’s “Sports Nightly,” Osborne said he’d stress what future players can count on during these uncertain times: Academics, excellent facilities, fan support, quality of life.
“And then we certainly have tradition that would indicate that we have a very good chance to get back to being a dominant football team sometime in the near future,” Osborne said.
Normally, under NCAA rules, only coaches can go on the road recruiting. But according to Cassidy, when there are sudden coaching changes, there is a provision that anybody within the program can be activated as a recruiter, provided that person passes a test.
When your “anybody” is a Hall of Fame coach with three national championship rings, you go with him.
“He’s been a big asset to us in recruiting,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy can’t say specifically where Osborne will be recruiting. But Osborne isn’t the only one on the road for Nebraska. All Husker assistant coaches, except for Phil Elmassian and Kevin Cosgrove, are gone this week, visiting their normal recruiting areas. Schools can only send out seven recruiters.
“Their willingness to go out and do this shows to me that these guys have an interest in being here,” Cassidy said. “It speaks volumes for them, because they’re quality coaches and they’re quality men.
“They’re out doing their absolute best to sell the University of Nebraska. I suspect they’ve had to answer some difficult questions.”
With Osborne out of the office recruiting, and with no interim coach in place, Cassidy and other members of the Nebraska support staff are working to keep things afloat in Lincoln.
“There’s plenty to keep us busy,” Cassidy said. “At this time of year, with the exception of the recruiting, it’s not a difficult task, because typically this time of year, the coaches would’ve been on the road anyway.”
What’s in Cassidy’s future?
With his former employer, Texas A&M, hiring his good friend and former colleague Mike Sherman this week, Cassidy understands there will speculation about the possibility of him returning to College Station.
Cassidy, an Omaha native, wouldn’t deny interest but also said he’s “gainfully employed” and very happy in Lincoln and working with Osborne.
“Tom Osborne has been unbelievable to me,” Cassidy said. “He is exactly what you see. He’s treated me with the absolute, utmost respect. He’s been great to work with.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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