Bo Pelini out at Nebraska

IOWA CITY - Two days after his team rallied from a 17-point, second-half deficit to beat Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini was fired after seven seasons with the school.

That comeback, a 37-34 overtime victory, played a small role in Nebraska Athletics Director Shawn Eichorst's decision. But in Eichorst's evaluation, Iowa's program is not considered Nebraska's equal.

'Our kids showed great character and resiliency in a tough environment,” Eichorst said Sunday, 'so it did play a factor. But in the final analysis, I had to evaluate where Iowa was.”

When asked to clarify his comment about Iowa, Eichorst said, 'As I looked back on the outcomes, I'm trying to look back at who are championship-caliber football teams at that moment and how competitive we were in those games.

'We weren't playing for a conference championship and neither was Iowa. I have great respect for Iowa. It's a great institution and a wonderful football program. But in the final analysis, their record was where it was and ours was where it was. Fair enough?”

The Cornhuskers finished 9-3 overall (5-3 Big Ten) this year. Iowa finished 7-5 and 4-4 in the Big Ten. In a late-season round-robin, both programs lost to Wisconsin and Minnesota by a combined 39 points.

'At the end of the day, I didn't see enough improvement in areas that were for us to move forward to play championship-caliber football,” Eichorst said. 'We just weren't good enough in games that mattered against championship-quality opponents. I didn't see that changing.”

Pelini was 67-27 in seven seasons with Nebraska. Barney Cotton will serve as the interim coach through Nebraska's bowl game. The athletics department owes Pelini about $7.9 million and his assistants about $4 million, Eichorst said. Both are mitigated amounts, should either Pelini or his assistants gain employment elsewhere.

Eichorst said he made his decision Saturday night and met with Pelini in person for about 20 minutes Sunday morning. Eichorst met with Pelini's assistant coaches afterward. Eichorst said he will not contact a professional search firm.

Pelini was known as a successful defensive coordinator when he replaced Bill Callahan in 2008 and won three divisional titles in his Nebraska tenure. In his second and third seasons, Pelini guided the Cornhuskers to Big 12 North Division titles. A year after moving to the Big Ten, Nebraska earned the 2012 Legends Division title. The program lost all three conference championship games.

Losses in big games by decisive margins clouded Nebraska throughout Pelini's tenure. In 2012, Nebraska gave up 63 points at Ohio State in the team's only league defeat. In the Big Ten title game, Wisconsin rushed for 591 yards and destroyed the Cornhuskers 70-31. This year, Nebraska gave up a then-NCAA record 408 yards to Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon in a 59-24 loss.

Pelini has won at least nine games in all seven years but he also lost four games every year before this season. Friday, Nebraska trailed Iowa 24-7 with 17 minutes left but rallied to win 37-34 in overtime at Iowa City. His tenure was marked with high-profile issues, such as a private recording calling out the fan base.

Nebraska boasts one of college football's greatest winning traditions with five national titles, 43 conference championships and 874 wins.

'I fully support Shawn's decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program, and wish Bo and his family all of the best, Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman said in a statement. 'I am confident that Shawn will find the best coach, teacher and fit for this University and for our football program.”

Potential replacements include former Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost and Colorado State coach Jim McElwain.

'I think new leadership is order, and we're looking forward to heading in that direction,” Eichorst said.

'Although we won a bunch of games, we didn't win the games that mattered the most. I think we gave coach ample time, ample resources and ample support to get that done, and now we're headed in a different direction.”

ILLINOIS STAYING PUT

Illinois football coach Tim Beckman will remain as head coach for the 2015 season, Illinois Athletics Director Mike Thomas said.

'It was important to see improvement in our football program this season,” Thomas said in a news release. 'Over the last month, we have won three of our last five games, including a pair of Big Ten wins over teams (Minnesota & Penn State) who are headed to the postseason. Our student-athletes have played their best football of the season down the stretch of a tough schedule that included nine bowl-eligible opponents. It's my expectation that with the upcoming bowl and another off-season of development, that Tim's continued leadership will keep Fighting Illini Football moving forward and even more competitive in the conference and nationally.”

Illinois (6-6, 3-5 Big Ten) won three of its last five games and is bowl eligible for the first time since 2011.

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com