SPECIAL EDITION

With over 600 page views, I have reached the level of blog prestige that warrants bringing in expert contributors to answer some fan questions. The first question I have received is from a totally impartial megafan of http;//josieblogsaboutsports.blogspot.com , my father. Here is the request: “I want a story on the Huskers' coaching staff situation.” Now buckle your seatbelts, because this is about to get confusing. You are reading “Josie Blogs About Sports” which is undoubtedly making this a great day for you. I am Josie. I am a girl and my name is pronounced like Joe-see. In four and a half sentences, you will switch to be reading “Josey Blogs About Sports,” which is written by Josey. Josey is a boy and his name is pronounced like Joe-zee. See the difference? Yeah, I didn’t think so. We’ll work on it. Anyway, without further ado: 

If average collegiate football coaches are an American dime a dozen, Bo Pelini better have 600 Kuwaiti fils.  The Nebraska head football coach is looking to add or promote six positions on his coaching staff. 

Linebackers coach Mike Ekeler was hired after last season by soon-to-be conference foe Indiana as co-defensive coordinator.  Defensive backs coach Marvin Sanders left the program for “personal and family reasons”  (I assume the Sanders household is stacked with Steelers fans).  Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson is reportedly being released, as is Assistant head coach/wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Ted Gilmore, after the company that makes his business cards simply could not handle all of those titles any longer.  NBC sports reports that Pelini is aiding Watson’s search for a job with the big boys in the NFL.

While rumors swirl on who will fill these positions or if they even need to be filled, Sanders, Watson, Gilmore and Pelini were absent from a national signing day dinner that the entire coaching staff usually attends.  Come on now; I know McDonald’s is great, but this is an annual dinner for you guys.

On Canadian Flag Day, I called the rumor mill.  The latest string of names to restock the sidelines in Lincoln is being shucked around town: ESPN has confirmed that running backs coach Tim Beck will be deservingly promoted to offensive coordinator.  Beck has paid his Big 12 dues as Kansas Jayhawks’ receivers coach for three years, including their prolific 12-1 season and three seasons with Nebraska.  Last season’s Huskers were the 9^th best rushing team in the country with 247.6 yards/game.  Hopefully his success will continue after Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten.

Tight ends coach Ron Brown will likely coach the receivers as well the fellas with good hands on the end of the line.  Brown won three championships with the Tom Osborne-coached Huskers in a 16-year-stint with the team that ended in 2003.

New names to Cornhusker football:

Corey Raymond is probably leaving the Hoosiers to take over as defensive backs coach.  Raymond and Pelini worked together at LSU; how cute.

Lincoln native Ross Els, of Ohio University, will take over for Ekeler as linebacker coach.

Rich Fisher, barring an “incomplete” from fellow teachers at Rivers school in Massachusetts, will graduate from high school coaching to join the Huskers, a team that went 10-4 last season in one of college football’s most historically dominant conferences.  Good luck, sir.

Huskers intern John Garrison will help poor, current offensive line coach Barney Cotton by taking the interior lineman off of his hands.  Cotton is probably breathing a little easier already, as not all the 49 sacks allowed last season can be completely his fault next year.

Last season the Cornhuskers burst out of the gate like the true Big 12 powerhouse we were used to in the 90s.  Their fervor began to fade late and they ended the year and their play as a Big 12 team at the Holiday Bowl on a 19-7 loss to Washington.  For their sake, I hope off-season distractions and staff changes don’t affect their play or transition to another authoritarian collegiate conference.

-by Josey MM

Thanks, Josey! From time to time you can expect to hear from Josey on some softball issues like the NE coaching staff or anything basketball-related while I focus on the real things like the national anthem, what to do if you meet a Chargers fan, and competitive Rock, Paper, Scissors.

This has been a special edition of Josie Blogs About Sports. See you Sunday. Go Raiders.