Former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini ripped into Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst during a meeting with his players following his firing by the school on Nov. 30.
Two days after being fired by Nebraska, Pelini met with his players in a private meeting at a local high school. Pelini wanted to talk with his players one more time to share some thoughts with them.
In the meeting, Pelini not only expressed his fondness for his players, but he also ripped the Nebraska administration. Pelini was particularly critical of athletic director Shawn Eichorst, according to an audio recording obtained by the Omaha World-Herald.
“A guy like (Eichorst), who has no integrity, he doesn’t even understand what a core value is,” Pelini told players his players, per the World-Herald. “He hasn’t understood it from the day he got here. I saw it when I first met with the guy.
“To have core values means you have to be about something, you have to represent something that is important to you. He’s a f—— lawyer who makes policies. That’s all he’s done since he’s been here: hire people and make policies to cover his own ass.”
Eichorst was hired in 2013 to replace Tom Osborne. Pelini said he could tell from the start that that spelled his demise.
“I didn’t really have any relationship with the A.D.,” Pelini said in the meeting. “The guy, you guys saw him (Sunday), the guy is a total p—-. I mean, he is. He’s a total c—.”
Pelini said the job was taking years off his life and bad for his health. He said he really wanted to quit if it weren’t for his players and coaches.
“Let me tell you fellas, this is for real: If it wasn’t for you guys and the coaches and for their families, I would have resigned a year ago. Because there was some things that were going on that were making me miserable. And all the money in the world ain’t f—— worth that. And that’s the truth.”
This is not the first time Pelini has been burned by an audio recording. Last year he was put in a bad spot by a 2011 audio recording of him ripping ungrateful fans. Like he says, it seems like someone wanted him out. At least this time he is making his comments publicly as well as privately.
As for Nebraska, well, the school responded with a strongly-worded statement.
“If these comments were, indeed, spoken by Mr. Pelini, we are extremely disappointed, but it only reaffirms the decision that he should no longer be a leader of young men at Nebraska. His habitual use of inappropriate language, and his personal and professional attacks on administrators, are antithetical to the values of our university. His behavior is consistent with a pattern of unprofessional, disrespectful behavior directed by Mr. Pelini toward the passionate fans of Nebraska, employees of the university and, most concerning, our student-athletes. This behavior is not tolerated at the University of Nebraska and, among many other concerns, played a role in his dismissal.
“Any assertions that the campus or athletics administration was not supportive of our student-athletes and our football program are flat-out false and are contradicted by the facts.
“We are grateful that the new leadership in our football program is aligned with our values and will establish that you can be successful at Nebraska and that you can do it with integrity and class.”
