Doak Ostergard Returns to the Nebraska Athletic Department

by Jon Johnston on Mar 7, 2008 1:05 AM CST in Nebraska Husker Football

Brian Christopherson at Husker Extra is reporting that Doak Ostergard has returned to the Husker athletic department. Ostergard is to be a contact person for the N Club and a consultant for athletic medicine, strength and conditioning and nutrition.

You should remember Ostergard as the guy who was terminated by Bill Callahan for reasons unknown. Much of Ostergard's experience in the athletic department was chronicled by Jonathan Crowl in the book "The Nebraska Way".

Here's what Crowl had to say about what happened between Ostergard and Callahan:

On February 15, 2007, Doak Ostergard was called into Bill Callahan’s office to deliver his first injury report in nearly a month. Such a stretch was unusual, but Ostergard credited the lapse to Callahan’s distanced management of the program and its personnel following the Cornhuskers’ bowl game loss to Auburn. The head coach had also been busy on the recruiting trail for much of that time. Ostergard had just finished giving the report when Callahan informed his trainer that the meeting would be their last.

"He turned his head to the side, keeping his attention on me, and said, ‘I don’t see this working out. I appreciate all your years of service, loyalty and dedication, but I think we need to make a change,’" Ostergard recalls. Callahan declined to give a reason for Ostergard’s dismissal. "I love you to death," he said. "This is not a big deal. It’s happened to me." Callahan explained to Ostergard that he could turn in a letter of resignation and receive a severance package. If not, he would be terminated.

One might argue that Ostergard's termination was the beginning of the end for Steve Pederson. Several other people (besides coaches) were dismissed from the athletic department by Pederson, but when it happened to Ostergard it created a public spectacle. Separate and conflicting golf outings were held, one by the Nebraska Lettermen's Club, the other by a group supporting Ostergard.

Ostergard's return has to make you wonder if everyone else terminated by Steve Pederson will be able to return under Tom Osborne. That'd be ironic.

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I don't think "Everyone Else" will get rehired...

As much as I think he got hozed by Pedersen, I really doubt Frank Solich is going to get rehired at Nebraska. Some things you just can't undo. (And please, let's not rehash the 2003 decision; nobody is going to change their mind on whether or not Solich should have been fired...)

by Husker Mike on Mar 7, 2008 8:02 AM CST reply actions