Pelini’s success traces back to Mooney years

His talent and competitive drive were evident in high school.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

There’s a legendary story about Bo Pelini that dates to his days of playing quarterback at Cardinal Mooney in 1985.

The Cardinals were facing a fourth-and-short near midfield when then-coach Don Bucci shouted at his quarterback, “We’re punting.”

“Oh no we’re not,” Pelini said.

Pelini then called a quarterback sneak — a play Bucci hated — and got the first down.

It’s a terrific little story, one that shows Pelini’s competitive drive and his special place in Bucci’s heart.

There’s just one problem. It’s not (technically) true.

“Oh no, he never did it on his own,” Bucci said. “But he’d argue the point. He’d get mad on the sidelines and say, ‘Why are we punting?’ We’d sometimes call a timeout and he’d tell us we had to go for it and probably 95 percent of the time he’d convince us we shouldn’t punt.

“But he had enough respect for the coaches that he’d never send the punter off the field.”

Pelini, who was named the head coach at the University of Nebraska on Sunday, was a coach on the field long before he became a coach on the sidelines, excelling at three sports at Mooney before going on to a successful career at Ohio State where he started at free safety his last two years and served as a captain as a senior in 1990.

Since he started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1991, he’s made stops at Ohio University, Mooney, the San Francisco 49ers, the New England Patriots, the Green Bay Packers, Nebraska, Oklahoma and, for the past three years, as the defensive coordinator at LSU.

“Bo was destined to stay in the game of football,” Bucci said. “He was a coach on the field, no doubt about it.”

After leading Nebraska to an Alamo Bowl victory as the interim coach in 2004, Pelini interviewed for the head coaching position, but then-athletic director Steve Pederson hired Bill Callahan instead. Pederson was fired earlier this year and Callahan got the axe after the regular season.

“He was very disappointed, but I told him he was going to be a head coach real quick,” said Bucci, referring to Pelini missing out on the Nebraska job the first time. “When I heard he was hired [last weekend], I wasn’t surprised. But I was definitely elated.”

Pelini’s success dates to his playing days, when he known as a talented player with a strong personality.

“I’ve never had a quarterback who had so much confidence in himself,” Bucci said. “He wasn’t cocky or anything, but both offensively and defensively, and especially at quarterback, he’d show his confidence. He wasn’t afraid to let the defense know he was going to run over a particular linebacker or a tackle and gain yards on it.

“He was doing things back then that we weren’t able to do with other quarterbacks.”

Mooney assistant coach John D’Apolito quarterbacked the 1984 team during Pelini’s junior year. Like everyone else, he remembers Pelini’s competitive drive.

“He’s one of the most competitive kids I’ve ever played with,” D’Apolito said. “He was always a coach on the field and on the basketball court. He was just one of those guys that kids always wanted to be led by. He had something that made them want to play with him and for him.”

As a junior, Pelini played in the same defensive backfield as Mark Stoops (now the defensive coordinator at Arizona) and Devlin Culliver.

“They just had a swagger,” D’Apolito said. “Whether they were hitting people or making interceptions, they did a great job.”

Pelini’s competitiveness didn’t stop on the playing field. He was an honor student at Cardinal Mooney and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection at Ohio State.

“He was very smart,” D’Apolito said. “You just knew he was going to be successful in whatever he did.”

Like the Stoops brothers, Pelini’s coaching style was heavily influenced by Bucci. They’re defensive-oriented coaches who emphasize discipline and physical play. It’s a style that should fit in well at Nebraska, Bucci said.

“He’s got a lot of old school in him,” Bucci said. “By that I mean he’s tough, tough disciplinarian. Defensively, some of the things he’s doing are 2007, but I think as far as the coaching element, he’s in the mid-80s.

“The kids have bought into it wherever he’s went. It’s not a loose type of coaching. He demands certain things but that’s Bo. That’s his personality. He’s very confident as an individual.”

D’Apolito and Bucci have each tried to reach Pelini over the past few days, but a busy schedule and limited space on his voice mail has made it difficult.

“It’s almost impossible for a few days afterward,” Bucci said. “But I’ll definitely put in a call for him.”

scalzo@vindy.com