Dismissed trainer says he helped Callahan get job

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Dismissed trainer says he helped Callahan get job

By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports Writer
February 24, 2007

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Doak Ostergard contends Bill Callahan might not be at Nebraska if it weren't for a message Ostergard delivered to the school's athletic administration in January 2004.

Three years later, Ostergard is out as the Cornhuskers' head football trainer after Callahan asked for his resignation.




"It's ironic the way it turned out," Ostergard said Friday.

More than a week after his dismissal, Ostergard said he still doesn't know for sure why Callahan decided to dump him. He said he has his suspicions, but he didn't feel comfortable discussing them.

Attempts to reach Callahan and athletic director Steve Pederson were unsuccessful. Both said previously that they wouldn't discuss Ostergard's departure because it was a personnel matter.

Ostergard, a 1984 Nebraska graduate from Gothenburg, was on the athletic training staff for 18 years and head football trainer for nine. He was hired by Tom Osborne and retained by Frank Solich and Callahan.

"The other coaches had a comfort level with me in that position," Ostergard said. "I'm not sure (Callahan) had a comfort level."

So why did he remain in Callahan's program for three years?

"Maybe he kept me out of gratitude," Ostergard said.

Ostergard said he notified associate athletic director Marc Boehm of Callahan's interest in the Nebraska job after the Oakland Raiders fired Callahan Dec. 31, 2003.

Ostergard said former Cornhusker players John Parrella and Adam Treu -- both of whom had played for the Raiders and were friends with Callahan -- had told him that Callahan wanted Nebraska to know that he would consider coming to Lincoln.

"Marc Boehm said, 'If we could be so lucky to get him,' " Ostergard recalled.

Ostergard said Callahan could be difficult to deal with, but that he didn't believe he had a rocky relationship with him.

"Anybody who works with him bumps heads with him at some time," Ostergard said.

Ostergard said, as far as he knows, his leaving had nothing to do with his job performance. He said it definitely has nothing to do with the recent hospitalization of running back Marlon Lucky. Lucky was rushed to a hospital Feb. 11 for undisclosed reasons. Less than a week later, Ostergard was out.

Ostergard said someone would have to be "cold, conniving and evil" to believe anything he did led to Lucky's hospitalization.

Ostergard said he knows the reason for Lucky's hospitalization but that he wouldn't violate the player's privacy by divulging it.

He said Lucky was not undergoing any treatment by the athletic training staff in the days leading to the medical emergency.

[Brad S]

Coach Cal has had less success than excoach Solich, and Nebraska has shown strength issues. Cal's job is to win titles at Nebraska - no excuses.
THere is no job security at NU without titles - ostergard needs to understand.

[jigs]

how many titles has Slashahan won? personally I think Solich was a good fit for NU. they should have kept him

[Brad S]

Solich was underappreciated, but that's history. Solich needed a "new style" O coordinator instead of replacing him. Nebraska rightfully concluded rules changes have obsoleted smashmouth football.

Ok jigs, Should KSU have retained Altman? Wooly?

[IL Rancher]

Solich didn't have a change to keep that job.. Most folks replacing legendary coaches, and Osborne was a legend, just don't have much more than a snowballs chance in heck of being accepted..A few will but not many. When JoePa retires his successor will get fried unless he wins 10 games a season, when Bowden is gone, same thing, ignore the fact that they have been struggling of late, it just kind of works that way...

Same works in sports franchises.. I pity the QB that follows Farve in Green Bay... Every little mistake will get blown way out of proportion.

[jigs]

I think Huggins will get us wins, but at what price? if I had my choice, Altman would still be there, and Rolando Blackman would be there assisting.


Farve is on NFL player that I would give anything to meet. he is just good people. 180 degrees from Deon Sanders or Terrell Owens !

[Brad S]

Ya gotta like Altman - his players played to the best of their talent, stayed out of trouble, and GRADUATED. Altman with Jank & Ro with Eddie as big mans coach - nobody willed their way to the D1 level more than Eddie Nealy. About the best play in hoops is getting more than your share of rebounds.


I like Favre also, but do you know about the rehab in Atlanta? Dude really turned his life arround.

[jigs]

never heard about the rehab...details please!

[IL Rancher]

Is this the rehab for the vicadin addiction or a different one? Because 5-6 years into his career he was exposed as having a serious addiciton to pain killers.. Now, I have a feeling their are a number of NFL players that do when you get the living bejebeeis beat out of you a few times a week.

[Oldtimer]

[IL Rancher]

Probably true.. My Father in law is a friend with a guy who played in the 60's.. I think he was a linebacker but he might have been a d line man.. I would have to look into it, he is on the radio in Chicago during the Bears season, Ed O'Branovich... I guess if you meet him and ask how he feels he basically says he just hurts from head to tow, sometimes has a hard time getting out of bed in the morning because all of his joints just lock up (Have heard this from Dan Hamton on the radio as well).. Hands all messed up, they did an article recently in the Chicago Tribune interviewing the 85 bears and talking to them about their injuiries.. Boys got beat up.. The ones now adays make real good money but if you are a marginal player you have an awful short carrer and don't get a lot of money.... Don't skimp on the learning while in College would be my advice.. yowza..

OT.. I think Suicide/depression issues are a probelm with a lot of former players too.. Some of it might be just missing the game but some are pointing towards the repeated head injuries causing the problem.. I think if I was a two sporter like Bo Jackson I would have picked baseball..

[Brad S]

painkillers and beer. I don't at all hold it against him - he rose above. Not unlike Lance Armstrong, the struggle contributed to his strength.