Thomas William Osborne was born on February 23,1937 and is a former American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and politician from Nebraska.
44 Facts About Tom Osborne
2.
Tom Osborne served as head football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1973 to 1997.
3.
Tom Osborne served three terms, returned to the University of Nebraska as athletic director in 2007, and retired in 2013.
4.
Tom Osborne played college football as a quarterback and wide receiver at Hastings College, and soon after finishing his brief NFL career he was hired by Nebraska head coach Bob Devaney as an assistant.
5.
Tom Osborne was named Devaney's successor in 1973, and over the next 25 years established himself as one of the best coaches in college football history with his trademark I-formation offense and revolutionary strength, conditioning, and nutrition programs.
6.
Tom Osborne coached 53 All-Americans, including 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier.
7.
Tom Osborne graduated from Hastings College with a BA in history in 1959.
8.
Tom Osborne earned a Master's degree in educational psychology in 1963 and completed his doctorate in 1965, both at Nebraska.
9.
Tom Osborne served in the Nebraska Army National Guard from 1960 to 1966.
10.
At Hastings, Tom Osborne quarterbacked the football team and became the first male athlete in Nebraska to be named both the high school and college athlete of the year by the Omaha World-Herald.
11.
Tom Osborne was the 1958 recipient of the Emil S Liston Award, which was given annually to the most outstanding NAIA junior basketball player who displayed high athletic and scholastic achievement.
12.
Tom Osborne was selected in the nineteenth round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
13.
Tom Osborne was eventually released by the 49ers without playing in a regular season game.
14.
Tom Osborne saw more playing time in 1961, starting twelve games.
15.
Tom Osborne scored his first career touchdown against the Browns in Week 4, and his second against the Cardinals in Week 12.
16.
In 1962, Tom Osborne joined Nebraska's coaching staff as an unpaid assistant to head coach Bob Devaney; his only compensation was the ability to dine at the athletic training table.
17.
Tom Osborne immediately overhauled the offense, switching to a balanced attack operated from the I formation.
18.
At age 35, Tom Osborne took over as Nebraska's head coach, a position he would hold for 25 years until his retirement following the 1997 season.
19.
Tom Osborne's teams won outright national championships in 1994 and 1995, and a share of another in 1997.
20.
Tom Osborne's Huskers won or shared 13 conference championships.
21.
Tom Osborne's teams were known for their powerful rushing attack and strong defense.
22.
One of the enduring moments of Tom Osborne's tenure was the 1984 Orange Bowl.
23.
The next year, Tom Osborne finally earned his first title as head coach, defeating Miami in the Orange Bowl.
24.
Tom Osborne announced his retirement late in the 1997 season, selecting longtime I-backs coach Frank Solich to succeed him.
25.
In 1995, Tom Osborne received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
26.
Tom Osborne was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Jim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
27.
Tom Osborne's Nebraska coaching staffs were renowned for their lack of turnover.
28.
However, several assistant coaches and players under Tom Osborne did go on to become NCAA head coaches:.
29.
From 1979 to 1998, Tom Osborne was an assistant athletic director at Nebraska, under both Bob Devaney and Bill Byrne.
30.
On October 16,2007, Tom Osborne was named interim athletic director.
31.
Tom Osborne appointed himself interim head coach so that he could perform recruiting duties while remaining in compliance with NCAA rules.
32.
In 2010, Tom Osborne ended Nebraska's long-standing relationship with the Big 12 Conference and accepted an invitation for the school to become the twelfth member of the Big Ten.
33.
Tom Osborne was paid $250,000 per year to manage Nebraska's 23-sport program.
34.
Tom Osborne later agreed to continue as athletic director after 2010, with his position to be reviewed annually.
35.
On September 26,2012, Tom Osborne announced his retirement, effective January 1 of the following year.
36.
Tom Osborne officially resigned on January 2,2013, after returning to Lincoln with the football team following their participation in the Capital One Bowl.
37.
Early in 2000, Tom Osborne announced that he would run in Nebraska's 3rd District as a Republican.
38.
Tom Osborne had grown up in Hastings, one of the larger cities in the sprawling district, and claimed a home in Lemoyne, near Ogallala, as his district residence.
39.
Tom Osborne was reelected with no major-party opposition in 2002 and against a Democrat in 2004.
40.
Tom Osborne garnered a lifetime rating of 83 from the American Conservative Union.
41.
At one point, Tom Osborne teamed up with Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers, normally his political adversary, to oppose efforts to expand gambling in Nebraska.
42.
In 2006, Tom Osborne ran for Governor of Nebraska, challenging incumbent Dave Heineman and Omaha businessman Dave Nabity in the Republican primary.
43.
Tom Osborne was initially thought to be the favorite in the race, given his tremendous popularity in the state.
44.
Tom Osborne declined to sign referendum petitions seeking voter repeal of the rural school legislation and said he would have signed the resident tuition bill.