When Bo Pelini was fired from Nebraska there were a lot of questions about why a coach who has won nine games in seven straight seasons was let go. It appears that it was a combination of unrealistic expectations and a long-standing dysfunctional relationship with athletic director Shawn Eichorst that led to the eventual falling out.
Omaha.com released a transcript of an audio recording they acquired of Pelini's final meeting with the Nebraska team that was held at a local high school two days following his termination. In the transcript, which you can read in full here, Pelini rips into Nebraska's AD in an expletive filled talk and explains his feelings on the entire situation.
Here are a few of the most interesting excerpts from a very intense and emotional talk:
"A guy like (Eichorst) who has no integrity, he doesn't even understand what a core value is," Pelini told players. "And he hasn't understood it from the day he got here. I saw it when I first met with the guy..."
During the tape, Pelini expresses gratitude, support and advice for players. The majority of the tape, however, reveals Pelini's thoughts about Eichorst. In the first minute of his talk, he uses two vulgarities associated with female genitalia to describe his former boss.
"I didn't really have any relationship with the A.D.," Pelini said. "The guy, you guys saw him (Sunday), the guy is a total p——. I mean, he is, and he's a total c—-..."
"I said to (assistant coach Rick Kaczenski) at one point, I said this job is killing me. I said I don't want to die doing this job. I meant it. I was like, I don't want to have a heart attack on this job..."
"He goes, I disagree that I haven't supported you. I said, 'Hey bud, you can't support someone under a f-ing rock.' I said, to do your job at this level, in a place like this, you gotta be a grown-ass f-ing man...to lead something. I said you can't lead anything under a f-ing rock. I said you don't spend any time with us. Our players don't even know who you are. That isn't leadership.
Nebraska released the following statement about the meeting and transcript:
