LINCOLN, Neb. — Under coach Tom Osborne, Nebraska was one of the bullies of college football, a program to be feared.
Under coach Bill Callahan, the Cornhuskers were too often the ones getting pushed around.
After watching Callahan’s Huskers for five games, Osborne, in his new role as interim athletic director, decided it was time for change.
He fired Callahan during a five-minute meeting Saturday.
“We used to be a team people hated to play,” Osborne said during a news conference, “because they felt it for two or three weeks.”
Callahan left the football complex without speaking to reporters.
The move was expected after the Huskers finished 5-7 with Friday’s 65-51 loss at Colorado, a game in which they squandered an 11-point halftime lead by allowing 34 consecutive points.
The Huskers kept losing, and losing big, with five defeats by at least 18 points. That included a 76-39 embarrassment at Kansas, the most points ever allowed by Nebraska.
“You have to play with intensity. These coaches tried very hard to have that happen. Yet sometimes you didn’t see the effort and intensity you like to see in a football game,” Osborne said.
It will cost the university more than $3.1 million to buy out Callahan’s contract, which was to run through the 2011 season. The new contract was signed in September before the firing of athletic director Steve Pederson, who hired Callahan.
Wyoming fires offensive coach. Wyoming, which struggled offensively this season, fired offensive coordinator Bill Cockhill, coach Joe Glenn announced.
“I appreciate Bill’s past contributions to our program, but I feel that it is time to change the direction of our offensive staff,” Glenn said in a statement released by the university.
Wyoming entered this weekend ranked only No. 107 in total offense among 119 NCAA Football Bowl Sub-division teams.
Orgeron fired at Ole Miss after three years. Ed Orgeron was fired as Mississippi’s coach, a day after the Rebels blew a game against Mississippi State to finish the season 3-9 and go winless in the conference for the first time since 1982.
The Rebels lost five of their last six games, and this season put 20 players on probation for stealing from hotels.
Darnell replaces Franchione. Texas A&M defensive coordinator Gary Darnell was named the Aggies’ interim head coach, a day after Dennis Franchione esigned.
Moving on
As the college season winds down, so starts the season of change. Some head coaches might not be returning next season. Below is a list of coaches who have been let go:
Bill Callahan, Nebraska, fired
Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M, resigned
Ed Orgeron, Mississippi, fired
