Pelini says his staff is ready to work
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
A college student got a story to tell while on a popcorn trip Saturday night. Walking down a Devaney Sports Center stairwell, en route to a concession stand, he ran into the entire Nebraska football coaching staff.
“Oh,” he said, softly. “Hey.”
Maybe the kid wasn’t one for talking, but Pelini had a speech ready after his staff was introduced to a roaring crowd at halftime of the Nebraska-Kansas men’s basketball game.
Pelini was brief with his words, but said the things a fan base hungry for a winner wanted to hear. He called them “the best fans in the United States” and assured them “we’re ready to roll and get this thing on the right track.”
Also said: “We can’t wait to get back to work. … We’re going to put the best recruiting class in the country together. … We’re going to put a team on the field you can be proud of.”
He ended it with a “Go Big Red.”
It surely wasn’t the first speech Pelini gave this weekend, as the Huskers hosted at least 12 recruits on campus.
The campus tours apparently began on Friday night — the stadium lights on and the HuskerVision board glowing.
On Saturday night, the recruits sat with coaches in the front rows of Section C7 of the Devaney Center, watching the first half of the basketball game amid the Red Zone student section.
They vacated those seats after the halftime festivities, but Pelini stayed around to do a second-half interview with Ron Franklin, announcing the game for ESPN.
The Huskers currently stand at 17 commitments with national signing date set for Feb. 6.
Among the visitors believed to be on campus this weekend: Lester Ward (running back), Charles Mitchell (safety), Brian Moore (linebacker) Will Compton (linebacker), Sean Fisher (linebacker), Eddie Brown (defensive end), Josh Williams (defensive end) John Youboty (defensive end), David Grant (offensive lineman), Brodrick Smith (wide receiver), Collins Okafor (running back) and David Whitmore (cornerback).
After a December filled with de-commitments, the Huskers are hoping for a big January, maybe even getting a boost from Pelini’s success as LSU’s defensive coordinator in the BCS national championship game last Monday.
Two of Pelini’s assistants — Mike Ekeler and John Papuchis — were also on that LSU staff.
“That kind of shows everybody what we’re hoping to bring to Nebraska, and that’s a national championship and a conference championship,” Papuchis said earlier this week. “Hopefully that shows everyone that’s possible and that Bo can get that done.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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