Osborne Not About to Call It Quits

Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne, who will be 60 in February and has coached the Cornhuskers for 24 years--and has earned a bowl bid each season--is hearing the question more frequently now.

How long does he intend to coach?

He heard it again Monday, as the sixth-ranked Cornhuskers completed preparations for today’s Orange Bowl game against 10th-ranked Virginia Tech. “I was asked that before we played Texas [in the Big 12 championship game], only the way it was asked, it was a longer question and I mentioned at the time it sounded like a eulogy,” he said.

“I had breakfast today with Don Shula, who coached a lot of years, and Joe Paterno is 70 and says he wants to go until he’s 75. Bobby Bowden has to be pushing 70 too, so to say at the age of 59 I’m done might be a little early. I feel good and I enjoy the games.

“I started coaching at 35 and I thought if I was still a head coach at the age of 40 I would be doing all right. I felt I was a short-timer as a coach. But my health is still good, and I still have enthusiasm for what I’m doing.”

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Virginia Tech reported no injuries. For Nebraska, I-back Ahman Green, who has a stress fracture, has run some plays but hasn’t scrimmaged and would, at best, play on a limited basis. I-back DeAngelo Evans hasn’t been able to finish a practice and is questionable because of a groin pull.