Coaching Career
In 1964, Osborne joined the Cornhusker coaching staff as an unpaid offensive assistant to head coach Bob Devaney; his only compensation was being able to dine at the athletic training table. After two disappointing 6–4 seasons in 1967 and 1968, Devaney named Osborne as offensive coordinator for the 1969 season. Osborne immediately overhauled the offense, switching to a balanced attack operated from the I formation. The revamped offense sparked the Huskers to the national title in 1970. The Huskers defeated LSU 17-12 in the 1971 Orange Bowl and finished first in the post-bowl AP poll, but third in the final UPI coaches' poll. (Through the 1973 season, the final UPI coaches poll was released before the bowls, making it a "regular season" title.) UPI awarded its title to Texas, which lost to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl (#2 Ohio State also lost, to Stanford in the Rose Bowl). Nebraska was 13-0 in 1971 and a consensus national champion, defeating the next three teams in the final AP poll: Oklahoma, Colorado, and Alabama.
Devaney announced he would step down as head coach at age 57 after the 1972 season to concentrate on his duties as athletic director, and named Osborne as his successor. Following a convincing win over Notre Dame in the 1973 Orange Bowl (NU's third straight in that bowl), Osborne, age 35, took over as head coach. He was head coach for 25 seasons, through the 1997 season, serving for most of that time as his own offensive coordinator.
Read more about this topic: Tom Osborne
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