Bo Pelini is leading 'Huskers candidate

Almost all of us, at some point in our lives, have been subjected to a job interview or tryout.
Very few, though, can say they experienced such a thing in front of thousands of interested on-lookers.
Yet, it seems that's what's going to be happening to Bo Pelini, the Cardinal Mooney High graduate who is serving as interim head coach of the University of Nebraska football program.
Pelini was put in charge after athletic director Steve Pederson fired Frank Solich early last week.
And according to a published reports in The Denver Post, Pelini is the leading candidate to take charge on a full-time basis.
The Cornhuskers, who finished the regular season with a 9-3 record but were blown out in losses to Missouri, Texas and Kansas State, will find out their bowl status today -- most likely, the Alamo Bowl or the Holiday Bowl.
As Pederson's search is progressing, he told the Lincoln Journal Star that his new coach must possess the following qualities: He must be a high-level teacher, he must be able to recruit well and he must be able to "run the program."
What "running the program" exactly means is open to interpretation, but what seems just as important as the three qualities Pederson lists are a couple that he doesn't; namely, head coaching experience and Nebraska ties.
Pelini has no head coaching experience and has been with the Cornhuskers less than one season.
On the plus side
He does have a couple of things going for him, though (in addition to his growing reputation as a coach). One, Pederson was the recruiting coordinator at Ohio State when Pelini was a senior at Cardinal Mooney High. Two, former Nebraska standout Tom Rathman, now running backs coach for the Detroit Lions, reportedly called Pederson this week to recommend Pelini for the job.
Not surprisingly, Rathman is reportedly Pelini's choice as offensive coordinator should he get the job on a permanent basis.
"I know Bo has all the confidence in the world that he can do it," said former Cardinal Mooney High coach Don Bucci. "It was a great thing for Pederson to elevate him to head coach, with [Pelini] only being there for one year, when he had a lot of offensive coaches who had been there a number of years and they're Nebraska people. That shows they really like him."
Make no mistake, though, there is a cloud hanging over this program -- former coach Tom Osborne.
After replacing the popular and highly successful Bob Devaney in 1972, Osborne needed almost a decade before he began to win over the Nebraska fans -- and he never won fewer than nine games in a season.
Similarly, Solich was never able to get out from Osborne's shadow, and even when he won a national championship the critics said he did so with Osborne's players.
Probably sealed fate
The Cornhuskers' 7-7 finish in 2002 probably sealed Solich's fate -- reportedly, Pederson wanted to fire him last winter but was mollified when Solich agreed to make changes on his staff -- and only a national championship this season would have allowed him to remain.
When the 'Huskers couldn't even win their division in the Big 12 Conference, it was all the ammunition Pederson needed to make his move.
So, the two highest-profile programs in the Big 12 will likely be led by Youngstown natives and Mooney graduates.
"Mooney prepares you for a lot of things," said new Arizona coach Mike Stoops. "The school stands for everything we try to instill in our players -- the integrity, the attitude, the goodness of being in a program like that. Being around a lot of good people helps."
It couldn't have helped Solich's case that Nebraska's long-time conference rival, Oklahoma, is competing for its second national championship in the last four years.
Speaking of that, the 'Huskers and Sooners meet in Norman, Okla., next November. Might it be dubbed, "The Bucci Bowl?"
XRob Todor is sports editor of The Vindicator. Write to him at todor@vindy.com.