LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska coach Frank Solich hired four assistants on Monday, including Barney Cotton as offensive coordinator.
Solich, who doubled as offensive coordinator all five years he's been the Cornhuskers' head coach, decided to relinquish his play-calling duties during a 7-7 season -- the school's worst in 41 years.
Cotton, one of three former Cornhuskers returning, was New Mexico State's offensive coordinator last season. He also will serve as the Huskers' offensive line coach.
Scott Downing, who resigned as Purdue's assistant head coach on Saturday, was hired as recruiting coordinator/tight ends coach.
The other new assistants are Marvin Sanders, who leaves Colorado State to take over the defensive backs, and Tim Albin, a Huskers' graduate assistant last season who was promoted to running backs coach/passing game coordinator.
Downing and Sanders also played for Nebraska.
Also Monday, quarterbacks coach Turner Gill took on the added title of assistant head coach, and running backs coach Dave Gillespie was moved to an off-field job as football operations director.
The coaching shakeup is the biggest at Nebraska since Bob Devaney replaced Bill Jennings as coach in 1962 and brought most of his assistants with him from Wyoming.
The latest hirings came a day after longtime Nebraska offensive line assistants Milt Tenopir and Dan Young retired, and six weeks after the firings of defensive coordinator Craig Bohl, secondary coach George Darlington and rush ends coach Nelson Barnes.
Bo Pelini was hired Dec. 23 to replace Bohl.
Originally published Tuesday, January 14, 2003
