Husker Nation Tour Coming to Fremont, Wayne, Blair, Columbus on June 25

Lincoln ? The Husker Nation Tour, sponsored by First National Bank, is coming to a Nebraska town near you on Friday, June 25.

Nebraska Outside Linebackers Coach Bill Busch and Associate Athletic Director for Football Operations Tim Cassidy, along with Associate Athletic Director for Corporate Marketing Paul Miles will visit Fremont, Wayne, Blair and Columbus as one of five groups visiting 26 Nebraska towns in a one-day, whirlwind goodwill tour. Coaches, athletic department representatives and select Husker players will visit with fans, boosters and media throughout the day.

Busch, a native of Pender, Neb., returned to his homestate as part of Coach Bill Callahan’s first Husker staff. Busch spent the past three seasons at Utah, where he coached the safeties in 2001 and 2002, before handling the defensive backs in 2003. He helped the Utes to a 10-2 record with one of the top defenses in the Mountain West Conference. Utah won its first outright conference title since 1957 under first-year coach Urban Meyer. Busch also spent four seasons with former Husker Tony Samuel at New Mexico State (1997-2000), after landing his first full-time assistant coaching job at Northern Arizona in 1995. Busch served as a graduate assistant at Nebraska under Tom Osborne from 1990 to 1993, before spending one season as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez in 1994.

Cassidy came to Nebraska in January of 2004 after spending the past 15 seasons as the recruiting coordinator at Texas A&M. Cassidy developed his reputation as a great recruiter in two seasons as the director of recruiting and high school relations at the University of Florida in 1987 and 1988. A native Nebraskan who graduated from Omaha Ryan High School before earning his bachelor’s degree from Nebraska-Omaha in 1981, Cassidy began his career as the receivers coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, from 1981 to 1983. He served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 1983 and 1984, before being named the Aggies’ recruiting coordinator in 1985.

Miles, a former standout on the field for the Huskers, is in his first year as an associate athletic director at Nebraska. The Princeton, N.J., native lettered as an I-back for NU in 1983, 1984 and 1985, before playing in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1986 to 1988. Miles, who manages the athletic department’s corporate sponsorship program and oversees the licensing, marketing and promotional programs, worked at several Fortune 500 companies including Nike, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pepsi, before returning to Nebraska.

Busch, Cassidy and Miles will begin their day at 8 a.m. in Fremont at Memorial Field at East Military and Clarmar Ave. The Fremont Husker Nation Tour stop, which is sponsored by the Fremont National Bank and Trust Co., will feature an "Extreme Husker Fan" Contest, along with free pancakes, juice and coffee. Fremont native and Pinnacle Sports Network radio personality John Bishop will emcee the morning activities. For more information about the Husker Nation Tour in Fremont, please contact local chairpersons Tony Niday (402-721-2233) and Becky Lowry (402-721-1050).

The Husker Nation Tour moves to Northeast Nebraska for its second stop with the First National Service Center at 1110 East 10th St. in Wayne serving as the local host site. The Wayne tour stop, sponsored by First National Bank, is set for 11:30 a.m. and will feature a free tailgate lunch. Along with Busch, Cassidy, Miles and Bishop, Nebraska Assistant Sports Information Director and Pinnacle Sports Network women’s basketball color commentator Jeff Griesch, a Wayne native, will also be part of the tour stop. For more information about the Husker Nation Tour in Wayne, please contact Mike Bentjen (402-375-1502) or Rob Burrows (402-375-1124).

After lunch in Wayne, the Husker Nation Tour will continue in Blair at 2:30 p.m. The Blair tour stop, which features a "Husker Pep Rally" will be held at the YMCA at 1278 Wilber. For more information on the Husker Nation Tour in Blair, please contact Brooke Matthews (402-426-2111).

The tour will conclude with a "Husker Party by the Pool" at the Elks Country Club at 5113 63rd St. in Columbus at 5 p.m. The three-hour event in Columbus will feature a tailgate party atmosphere with free hot dogs, chips, assorted salads and soft drinks. Everyone in the community is encouraged to attend this casual event. For more information on the Husker Nation Tour in Columbus, please contact Crystal Hollman (402-564-1481 ext. 531). For weather-related updates and additional tour information on all of the stops on the 2004 Husker Nation Tour, visit Huskers.com.