How Bo Came to NU the First Time

HuskerExtra has the story of how Frank Solich, smarting from a subpar 7-7 season, went about looking for a new defensive coordinator to replace Craig Bohl after the 2002 season.

"How did Pelini go from a Green Bay Packers linebackers coach to the toast of Nebraska? The short version: Solich called Monte Kiffin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kiffin called Pete Carroll of the USC Trojans. Carroll told Kiffin: “Monte, you could not find a better guy than Bo. He’s enthusiastic and he’ll get players to play for him.”

Solich explained that he wasn't necessarily looking for an NFL coach, but he wanted to keep the process simple, interview two or three cnadidates, and thought Kiffin, with ties to the program, would be able to point him toward some talented coaching assistants. Kiffin in turn asked his former Defensive Coordinator Pete Carroll for advice, and Carroll, in turn mentioned a guy he'd worked with in San Fransisco, and whom he had hired as an assistant when Carroll was hired at New England - Bo.

Solich also looked at Bud Foster of Virginia Tech and John Tenuta of Georgia Tech, ultimately deciding on Pelini over Tenuta for his 2003 DC, while Carroll inteerestingly enough wound up with a job at USC. And the rest, as they say, is history.