LINCOLN, NEB. (AP) - Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has confirmed the reorganization of his coaching staff, making Tim Beck his offensive coordinator and announcing four new assistants.
Pelini told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has hired Indiana assistant Corey Raymond to coach the secondary, Ohio assistant Ross Els to coach linebackers and Massachusetts prep coach Rich Fisher to coach wide receivers. Pelini later announced that staff intern John Garrison has been promoted to assistant and will work with Barney Cotton on the offensive line and coach tight ends.
Pelini, who spoke by phone while on a golf vacation in Palm Springs, Calif., declined to say whether former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and former receivers coach Ted Gilmore resigned or were fired. Pelini announced former secondary coach Marvin Sanders’ resignation for personal reasons in a statement two weeks ago.
Beck, who had been running backs coach, will work with the quarterbacks as well as direct the offense. Ron Brown, who had been coaching tight ends, is now in charge of running backs.
Pelini’s staff shuffle has been in the works for weeks but the coach had not spoken publicly about the changes. Pelini would not confirm Raymond’s hiring until Wednesday, even though Indiana coach Kevin Wilson announced Feb. 2 that Raymond would be going to Nebraska.
Several media outlets, citing unnamed sources, had reported the hirings of Els and Fisher.
The university’s website on Tuesday listed Raymond, Els and Fisher as faculty members, but their names did not appear on the school’s athletic website. Pelini said the hiring paperwork wasn’t wrapped up until Tuesday, and that’s why he had not formally announced the new coaches.
The Huskers, who move from the Big 12 to the Big Ten next season, finished 10-4 last season even though their offense failed to perform in the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma and the Holiday Bowl against Washington.
Watson and Gilmore were holdovers from the staff of Bill Callahan, who coached the Huskers from 2004-07.
Beck, an original member of Pelini’s staff, has never called plays at the college level. He spent three years at Kansas before coming to Nebraska. He was the Jayhawks’ receivers coach and pass-game coordinator in 2007, when the Todd Reesing-led offense averaged 43 points and 480 yards a game.
Els, a Lincoln native, was Ohio’s linebackers coach for six years and special-teams coordinator for four. He replaces Mike Ekeler, who is now co-defensive coordinator at Indiana.
Raymond coached cornerbacks at Utah State for two years, then spent two months at Indiana before jumping to Nebraska.
Raymond, who played six seasons in the NFL, worked three years at LSU with cornerbacks and the strength and conditioning program. Pelini was LSU’s defensive coordinator before coming to Nebraska.
Fisher previously was head coach at The Rivers School in Weston, Mass. He also worked as a teaching golf professional. Fisher played linebacker at Colorado from 1989-92 and served as an assistant at Oklahoma State, Colorado and Idaho. He had been out of the college game since 2002.
Garrison played center for the Huskers from 1999-2002 and was a two-year starter and a captain his senior year.
Brown coached Nebraska’s receivers under Tom Osborne and Frank Solich from 1987-2003 and returned to the staff to coach tight ends in 2008. It will be his first time working with running backs.
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