Bo Pelini facts for kids
Pelini in 2008
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1967 Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1987–1990 | Ohio State |
| Position(s) | Free safety |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1991 | Iowa (GA/AWR) |
| 1993 | Cardinal Mooney HS (OH) (QB) |
| 1994–1996 | San Francisco 49ers (DB) |
| 1997–1999 | New England Patriots (LB) |
| 2000–2002 | Green Bay Packers (LB) |
| 2003 | Nebraska (DC) |
| 2003 | Nebraska (interim HC) |
| 2004 | Oklahoma (co-DC/DB) |
| 2005–2007 | LSU (DC) |
| 2008–2014 | Nebraska |
| 2015–2019 | Youngstown State |
| 2020 | LSU (DC) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 100–55 |
| Bowls | 4–3 |
| Tournaments | 4–1 (NCAA D-I Playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 3 Big 12 North Division (2008–2010) Big Ten Legends Division (2012) |
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Mark Anthony "Bo" Pelini (born December 13, 1967) is a former American football coach and player. He is known for his time as the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He also served as a defensive coordinator for several top college and professional teams. His younger brother, Carl Pelini, also coached football.
Contents
Bo Pelini's Football Journey
Playing Days
Bo Pelini grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, a city with a strong sports history. He got his nickname "Bo" from a famous football player, Bo Scott. After high school, he played as a free safety for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1987 to 1990. He was a team captain in his final year. In 1990, he earned his degree in business administration.
Coaching Career Highlights
Early Coaching Steps
Pelini started his coaching career in 1991 at the University of Iowa as a graduate assistant. He also earned his master's degree in sports administration. In 1993, he coached quarterbacks at his old high school. He then had a brief role with the Detroit Drive in the Arena Football League.
Coaching in the NFL
In 1994, Pelini joined the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). He quickly moved up to defensive backs coach. In 1995, he coached in his first Super Bowl when the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX.
He then coached for the New England Patriots from 1997 to 1999. The Patriots made the playoffs twice during his time there. From 2000 to 2002, he was the linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers. The Packers had a good record and reached the playoffs twice with Pelini on staff.
Returning to College Football
In 2003, Pelini became the defensive coordinator for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The team's defense improved a lot under his leadership. After the head coach was fired, Pelini became the interim head coach and led Nebraska to a win in the 2003 Alamo Bowl.
For the 2004 season, he joined the Oklahoma Sooners as co-defensive coordinator. The Sooners had a strong defense and played in the 2005 BCS National Championship Game.
From 2005 to 2007, Pelini was the defensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers. LSU's defense was ranked among the best in the country. In 2007, the LSU Tigers won the 2008 BCS National Championship Game.
Head Coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers
In December 2007, Bo Pelini was chosen to be the new head coach for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Fans were very excited about his arrival.
2008 Season
Nebraska started the 2008 season with three wins. They later had some tough losses but finished the regular season with a 9–4 record. This was the best record for a new head coach that year. They won the 2009 Gator Bowl against the Clemson Tigers.
2009 Season
Expectations were high for 2009. Nebraska was ranked in the preseason for the first time in a few years. They reached the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game against the Texas Longhorns. Even though they lost, defensive star Ndamukong Suh had an amazing game. Suh won many major awards that year. Nebraska finished the season with a 33–0 win in the 2009 Holiday Bowl. This was the first time Nebraska had a shutout in a bowl game.
2010 Season
In 2010, Nebraska was ranked #8 in the preseason. They aimed for the Big 12 title before moving to the Big Ten Conference in 2011. They won the Big 12 North title but lost the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game to Oklahoma. Nebraska then lost the 2010 Holiday Bowl to the Washington Huskies.
2011 Season
Nebraska started 2011 with four wins. They then lost their first Big Ten game to the Wisconsin Badgers. However, they made a big comeback against Ohio State, winning after being down by 21 points. This was the largest comeback in school history. They finished the season with a loss in the 2012 Capital One Bowl.
2012 Season
The Cornhuskers were ranked #17 to start 2012. They won most of their regular season games, earning their first Big Ten Legends Division title. This led them to the 2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game. They lost this game to Wisconsin. They also lost the 2013 Capital One Bowl to the Georgia Bulldogs.
2013 Season
Nebraska began 2013 ranked #18. They faced many injuries during the season. They finished the regular season with an 8–4 record. Nebraska then defeated Georgia in the 2014 Gator Bowl, getting revenge for the previous year's loss. This marked Pelini's sixth straight season with nine or more wins.
2014 Season
The Cornhuskers started 2014 ranked #22. They finished the season with a 9–3 record.
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Leaving Nebraska
On November 30, 2014, Pelini was no longer the head coach at Nebraska. He had a strong record of 67 wins and 27 losses. He won at least nine games every season he coached there. However, the team did not win a conference title during his time.
Coaching at Youngstown State
In December 2014, Pelini became the head coach at Youngstown State University. In 2016, his team had a great season, going 12–4. They reached the FCS Championship game but lost. He coached Youngstown State for five seasons, with an overall record of 33 wins and 28 losses.
Second Time with LSU
On January 27, 2020, Pelini returned to the LSU Tigers as their defensive coordinator. He was dismissed from this position on December 21, 2020.
Head Coaching Record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12 Conference) (2003) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Nebraska | 1–0 | W Alamo | 18 | 18 | ||||
| Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12 Conference) (2008–2010) | |||||||||
| 2008 | Nebraska | 9–4 | 5–3 | T–1st (North) | W Gator | ||||
| 2009 | Nebraska | 10–4 | 6–2 | 1st (North) | W Holiday | 14 | 14 | ||
| 2010 | Nebraska | 10–4 | 6–2 | T–1st (North) | L Holiday | 19 | 20 | ||
| Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten Conference) (2011–2014) | |||||||||
| 2011 | Nebraska | 9–4 | 5–3 | 3rd (Legends) | L Capital One | 24 | 24 | ||
| 2012 | Nebraska | 10–4 | 7–1 | 1st (Legends) | L Capital One | 23 | 25 | ||
| 2013 | Nebraska | 9–4 | 5–3 | T–2nd (Legends) | W Gator | 25 | |||
| 2014 | Nebraska | 9–3 | 5–3 | T–2nd (West) | Holiday | 23 | 25 | ||
| Nebraska: | 67–27 | 39–17 | |||||||
| Youngstown State Penguins (Missouri Valley Football Conference) (2015–2019) | |||||||||
| 2015 | Youngstown State | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 2016 | Youngstown State | 12–4 | 6–2 | 3rd | L NCAA Division I Championship | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2017 | Youngstown State | 6–5 | 4–4 | 7th | |||||
| 2018 | Youngstown State | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 2019 | Youngstown State | 6–6 | 2–6 | 8th | |||||
| Youngstown State: | 33–28 | 18–22 | |||||||
| Total: | 100–55 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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See also
- List of college football head coaches with non-consecutive tenure
