How Tom Osborne's Consistency Carried the Nebraska Football Dynasty

The Consistency That Carried a Dynasty

He was never a yeller. Even in an era when it was much more common for football coaches to cuss and scream, to berate players for making mistakes, Tom Osborne took the opposite approach.

Through nearly three decades, 255 wins, 13 conference titles, and three national championships, perhaps Osborne’s most defining trait was consistency. It was the steadiness with which he led his team, through trials, defeats, and even tragedy, that marked his incredible tenure as Nebraska’s head coach.

That theme of consistency ran through Episode 5 of our series about TO on the Common Fan Podcast, released earlier this week. We covered the final three seasons of Osborne's legendary run, from 1995 through 1997, with college football hall of famer Grant Wistrom and longtime Omaha World Herald writer Tom Shatel. We revisited a stretch of football brilliance marked by controversy, tragedy, and triumph—and how, through it all, Osborne never wavered.

1995: The Greatest Team in College Football History

I will argue to my grave that the ‘95 Huskers were the greatest team in college football history. Like the creatures in the Alien movies, they tore through everything in their path. They didn’t just beat teams—they demoralized them. No opponent got within 14 points. In a national championship game many expected to be close, they dismantled Florida in the Fiesta Bowl, 62-24.

And yet, somehow, that team felt overshadowed by events that took place off the field.

We talked at length during this episode about the Lawrence Phillips situation, and everything that stemmed from that. Wistrom and Shatel both recalled the same thing: Osborne’s decision to reinstate Phillips after an assault arrest turned the season—and Osborne’s reputation—upside down.

Personally, I genuinely believe TO’s decision to give Phillips a second chance was driven by his care for a deeply troubled young man, and a belief in redemption driven by his faith. He believed Phillips would have been completely lost without football, and prone to getting into more trouble with the law (which he ultimately did anyway).

You could argue it was actually the hard decision. It would have been easier to discard Phillips, to cast him off and be done with him. Osborne took a ton of heat for how he handled the situation.

But there’s also a victim in this story. I believe it is 100% true that TO cared about helping Phillips turn his life around. I also believe you can make a strong case that LP never should have played another down of football at Nebraska. Both things can be true.

Shatel recalled the national media fury at Osborne. “This was a special team,” Shatel said. “I don't think they got the credit in the moment…too many people were angry.”

Through the chaos, Osborne never changed.

“Tom Osborne is probably the most consistent person I’ve ever known in my life,” Shatel said. “And that consistency was tested that year in a big way over and over and over. And…he didn’t blink.”

1996: Taking a Step Back

The 1996 season saw tragedy before it even started. Brook Berringer – hero of the 1994 season and likely NFL draft pick – died in a plane crash right before the draft, the weekend of Nebraska’s spring game. Both Tom and Grant recalled their absolute disbelief at the news, which was still evident during our conversation. When asked for their reactions at the time, Grant’s first word was, “Tears.”

Perhaps next offseason, we’ll do an entire episode or series of episodes on Berringer. By all accounts, he deserves it.

Once the season arrived, the ‘96 team was supposed to be historic—no one had ever won three consecutive national titles in the modern era. Nebraska looked poised to do it.

But an early loss to Arizona State – a shutout no less! – derailed the dream and shocked the state. A flu-riddled Nebraska team then fell to Texas in the Big 12 title game, putting a nail in the coffin of the three-peat attempt.

It goes without saying that Husker fans today would be overjoyed with an 11-2 season. But of course, coming on the heels of two national championships, the ‘96 season was a major letdown for the Big Red faithful. “Back then, it felt like a failure,” Shatel said.

Even in the disappointment, Osborne’s message never changed.

Wistrom said Osborne didn’t yell or panic after the loss to ASU. “The message still didn’t change. You know, we lost a game. We got another game on Saturday. Let’s learn from our mistakes and do better this Saturday.”

That quiet steadiness helped set the stage for one final run.

1997: One Last Ride

It’s been well documented that Osborne had promised Frank Solich he would step down after five more years. That fifth season was 1996. We discussed this in great detail during last summer's episode focused on Solich’s tenure as head coach. Interestingly, Wistrom shed some light on what really happened during a now famous conversation with his beloved coach.

The story has always been that Wistrom and Jason Peter sat down with Osborne and told him they were coming back to try to win one more national championship. According to Grant, the reality is more nuanced. The two friends and outstanding defensive linemen went to TO’s office to talk about whether or not they should go pro. They were genuinely considering it, and seeking his advice. Osborne, in classic fashion, offered to call NFL scouts right there in the room — on speakerphone — so they could hear the truth.

“The consensus was…these guys are good, but they're probably not top 10 picks,” Wistrom said. “And so Jason and I just kind of said ‘All right, coach, well, we're going to be coming back next year.’”

Wistrom didn’t know that Osborne had already planned to retire. But when those two captains committed to coming back, so did he. TO went to Solich and asked for a slight alteration to his original commitment: one more year.

That 1997 team went undefeated and beat Peyton Manning’s Tennessee squad soundly in the Orange Bowl. The Huskers split the national title with a Michigan team they would have dismantled by at least two touchdowns if given the chance to play head-to-head.

Osborne rode into the sunset as a winner, carried off the field by his players.

Why It Worked

The secret to the dynasty was the steadiness of the man who led it. It was preparation. It was culture. It was belief. And it was an insistence on working harder than anyone else.

“Lots of times I was going against a better player on our number twos than I'd face on a Saturday,” Wistrom said. “We were deep…we were physical, and we were prepared every Saturday to play.”

But maybe most importantly, it was his stability.

As Wistrom told us, “But Coach Osborne never changed (his) message, regardless of the situation, regardless of up or down, (it) didn't matter. The message was always the same: ‘We're going to go out. We're going to practice hard. We're going to prepare well. We're going to have you ready to play on Saturday, and we're going to go out there and give our best effort.’”

He went on: “And it was always just such a steadying, calming influence. Throughout the whole team. And you had other coaches out there that were the fiery coaches. But Coach Osborne was just stoic and just steadfast for every year he was at the helm.”

Through a quarterback controversy, a national scandal, a tragic plane crash, a near-retirement, and one final title run—Osborne was always the same.

In a game often defined by chaos, Tom Osborne gave Nebraska football the most valuable gift of all: consistency.

Let us know what you think, Common Fans. We’d love to hear your contribution to this discussion. Send us an email at commonfangbr@gmail.com, or message us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

As always, GBR for LIFE.

PODCAST EPISODE: Tom Osborne: Dynasty

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