Osborne weighing his decision

LINCOLN -- Tom Osborne is one month into his position as Nebraska’s interim athletic director.

His biggest decision -- evaluating football coach Bill Callahan and determining his future in Lincoln -- will come Saturday, a day after the Huskers’ regular-season finale at Colorado.

It’s a decision, Kent Mann said, that Osborne isn’t taking lightly.

Mann, the father of former Husker center Kurt Mann, is among some 30 people who’ve phoned Osborne, or heard back from Osborne, and talked about Nebraska’s program and its future.

Kent Mann said he appreciated Osborne’s interest in his opinion.

“It really speaks to the level of credibility and integrity that he has,” Mann said. “I think he’s very sincere and genuine in his efforts to understand the situation that he’s dealing with, and to be sure that he has a real grasp of the situation, so that he can make a decision that will be right for the program and right for the kids and coaches and the university.”

Mann said the two discussed the situation in Lincoln but declined to offer specific comments, saying the conversation was confidential.

Mann, principal at Grand Island Senior High School, said he’s worked with Osborne professionally on some projects when Osborne was in the U.S. House of Representatives, and with Osborne’s TeamMates program.

“I’m really interested in the things that are developing in Lincoln, and certainly Tom Osborne is the right guy to address the issues and solve the situation,” Mann said. “I have a lot of confidence in him.”

Osborne admits he’s heard numerous comments regarding Nebraska’s football program in the month he’s served as Steve Pederson’s successor.

Positive? Negative?

“I hear all kinds,” Osborne said. “I don’t want to quantify it, really.

“It’s not that I want to give the impression that I haven’t gotten any calls, because I have. It’s all just part of the picture. But a very small part.”

Osborne, careful to point out he’s not trying to undermine Callahan and his staff, said whatever his thinking is based upon, it will be what happens on the football field.

“It doesn’t have to do with comments and opinions,” Osborne said. “You get all kinds of people who have different feelings and viewpoints.

“The one thing that’s pretty obvious is what you see on the field, and I’ve had enough experience with football that I have a fairly good idea of what I’m seeing.”

Nebraska is 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big 12 Conference heading into Friday’s 11 a.m. game at Colorado.

The Huskers ended a five-game losing streak last weekend with a 73-31 victory in its home finale over Kansas State, and need to defeat the Buffaloes to earn a bowl bid. A loss assures Nebraska of its second losing season in four years under Callahan.

Mann said Osborne has spoken with or heard from several parents of former players, and former players themselves.

One was former quarterback Zac Taylor, who said he recently phoned Osborne to give input on the situation. Taylor didn’t get into specifics of the conversation, but in a letter he sent to the Journal Star last month, defended Callahan and his staff, saying this season was “a fluke.”

Mann, whose son lost his starting position last year after an early-season bout with mononucleosis, said he has great respect for Nebraska.

“I can’t say enough about the academic experience that (Kurt) had, and certainly the support and the involvement of the medical staff was phenomenal,” Mann said.

He said he has much compassion for the current players.

“I know they have to be frustrated,” Mann said. “Sometimes that’s one of the hard lessons of life, is working through the conflict and the strife. Usually you come out a better person for it.

“I don’t think people have heard the last of the Cornhuskers, and I think there’s some really positive things on the horizon. Sometimes you just have to play the hand you were dealt, and I think we’re probably in that situation right now.”