Dick Vermeil to Headline Nebraska Football Spring Coaches Clinic

A pair of coaches with Super Bowl head-coaching experience headlines the Nebraska Football Spring Coaches Clinic, set for April 8 and 9. Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Dick Vermeil will be the featured speaker at the clinic, which will also include instruction from Husker Head Coach Bill Callahan and his staff, in addition to demonstrations by championship high school coaches from Nebraska and nearby states.

 

Vermeil recently completed his fourth season as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He has guided the Chiefs to a 34-30 record in his four years with the franchise, including a 13-3 mark and an AFC West division title in 2003.

 

The Chiefs are the third NFL team Vermeil has guided during his 15-year career as an NFL head coach. He previously had head coaching stops with the Philadelphia Eagles (1976-82) and the St. Louis Rams (1997-99). Vermeil guided both the Eagles and the Rams to the Super Bowl, and is one of just four coaches, along with Bill Parcells, Don Shula and Dan Reeves to take two different teams to the Super Bowl. Vermeil guided Philadelphia to Super Bowl XV following the 1980 season, and the Rams to Super Bowl XXXIV after the 1999 campaign, where St. Louis defeated Tennessee 23-16.

 

One of just eight active coaches with a Super Bowl title to his credit, Vermeil’s overall NFL record is 110-103, putting him in a group with seven other active NFL coaches who have topped the century mark in the career victories.

 

Vermeil also has head coaching experience in the college game. In his two seasons as UCLA’s head coach (1974-75), Vermeil posted a 15-5-1 record and led the Bruins to a 9-2-1 record and a Rose Bowl appearance in 1975. Vermeil also owns the rare distinction of being named “Coach of the Year” on four levels: high school, junior college, NCAA Division I and the NFL. Vermeil was out of coaching from 1983 to 1996, and spent those years as a television analyst for both CBS and ABC.

 

“It is a great honor to have Dick Vermeil be a part of a Nebraska tradition,” Nebraska Head Coach Bill Callahan said. “He will provide our high school coaches with great insight and experience from his championship background. We are appreciative of Coach Vermeil sharing his time with us. I know our coaching staff is excited about listening to his thoughts, and I hope coaches from all levels from around the area will take advantage of the opportunity to come to our clinic and hear Coach Vermeil.”

 

Callahan and Vermeil are not the only notable coaches who will provide instruction at the coaches’ clinic. All members of Nebraska’s coaching staff will be a part of the weekend, demonstrating drills and providing chalk talks for those in attendance. Former Husker offensive line coach Milt Tenopir will also be a part of the clinic as this year’s “Legend Speaker.”

 

Additionally, four championship high school coaches will share their expertise at the Nebraska Coaches Clinic. Two of the most decorated prep coaches in the state of Nebraska, Millard North Coach Fred Petito and Omaha Creighton Prep Coach Tom Jaworski, are scheduled to speak at this year’s clinic.

 

Petito, who has guided his Mustangs to the Class A state finals three straight times, including a state title in 2003, will be one of the featured speakers at the clinic. Petito was the high school coach of 2001 Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch. Petito will be joined on the clinic schedule by legendary Omaha Creighton Prep Coach Tom Jaworski, who picked up his ninth state title in 2004. Jaworski is Nebraska’s all-time winningest prep coach, having won 298 games in his 33 seasons as the Junior Jays’ head coach.

 

Jenks (Okla.) Head Coach Allan Trimble will discuss the Multiple 4-3 Defense. Trimble has helped Jenks be one of the most dominant prep programs in the nation in recent years. He has helped the school to multiple 6A state titles and in 2004 Jenks was the runner-up with a 12-1 record.

 

Tulsa Union Head Coach Bill Blankenship is the second standout coach from the state of Oklahoma who will be featured at the clinic. Blankenship, who will discuss Screen and Pressure Packages, guided Union to the 6A state title in 2004, and also coached his team to the state title in 2002. Blankenship’s son, Adam, is a redshirt freshman defensive end for Nebraska.

 

In addition to first-hand instruction from several top coaches, those in attendance at the clinic will have the opportunity to attend two Nebraska practices. As part of the clinic, registered coaches will attend Nebraska’s closed practices on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Saturday’s activities will kick off with an FCA Breakfast on the third floor of West Stadium.

Cost of attending the clinic is $35 in advance or $45 the day of the event. For more information, please contact the Nebraska football office at (402) 472-3116 or visit Huskers.com and CoachCallahan.com. A full schedule of events will be posted on both web sites.

 

Five Youth Camps Offered by Huskers in Summer of 2005

The Nebraska football coaching staff will offer five summer camps in 2005, including three specialty camps. In addition to two sessions of the Big Red Football School, Nebraska will also offer the first-ever Husker Youth Camp, the Big Red Kicking Academy and the EliteQuarterbackAcademy.

 

The summer camps will begin with the Husker Youth Camp on Thursday, June 2 through Saturday, June 4. The Husker Youth Camp is open to ages 8-13 and provides campers the opportunity to develop and improve their football skills in a safe, fun and enjoyable atmosphere.

 

The one-day BigRedKickingAcademy is scheduled for Saturday, June 11. The camp is led by Husker kickers coach Scott Downing and focuses on the fundamentals of the kicking game. The EliteQuarterbackAcademy is in its second year, and will run June 18-20 under the direction of Nebraska offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jay Norvell. Space in both the kicking and quarterback academies is limited, and early registration is recommended.

 

The BigRedFootballSchool will have two sessions. Session I will run June 12-14 and Session II will take place June 16-18. Students who will be in the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades next fall are eligible to attend the BigRedFootballSchool, which features hands-on coaching from the Husker staff.

 

More information on all of Nebraska’s football camps is available on-line at Huskers.com and at CoachCallahan.com. On-line registration is available by logging onto Huskers.com. For more information contact the Husker football office at (402) 472-3116.

 

2005 Husker Football CampSchedule

Date(s)             Camp                                                   Cost

June 2-4            Husker Youth Camp                               $225

June 11             Big Red Kicking Academy                      $75

June 12-14        Big RedFootballSchool Session I           $250

June 16-18        Big RedFootballSchool Session II          $250

June 18-20        EliteQuarterbackAcademy                    $400