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In a move that was out of the blue on Tuesday afternoon, Nebraska announced that recently hired safeties coach Bob Elliott would be stepping down from that role due to health issues. Elliott, who had to take an AD job with Notre Dame and be off the field due to health issues as well, was just hired in February by Mike Riley to help install Bob Diaco’s system.
Elliott will be replaced on the field by Scott Booker, who was at Notre Dame as a special teams and tight ends coach from 2012-16. He had been hired at Nebraska already, though as a special teams consultant.
This is what the Nebraska AD released in a prepared statement:
Nebraska Head Football Coach Mike Riley announced today a change to the Husker coaching staff. Due to personal reasons that recently arose, Assistant Coach Bob Elliott will not be available to work on the field during the 2017 Nebraska football season and instead will serve as a defensive analyst in 2017. Scott Booker has been hired as the Husker safeties and special teams coach for the upcoming season.
“We are sorry to see Bob Elliott leave our full-time on-field staff,” Riley said. “Bob is a wonderful man and a great football coach and he has built a great rapport with our staff and the players in our program. We respect Bob’s decision and we are confident that he will continue to have a positive impact on our program.
... “It’s an unusual time to make a coaching hire,” Riley said. “But we are fortunate that Scott worked with our staff this past spring and brings great experience and energy to our program. We are confident that he will add to our program as a coach, teacher and recruiter.”
... “The opportunity to be a part of a prestigious program at the University of Nebraska is something that few coaches have the chance to do in their career,” Booker said. “This is a special place with tremendous people and a great leader in Coach Riley. I couldn’t be more excited for the 2017 season and the chance to work with the young men in this program.”
Booker has been a coach at the FBS level for 10 years, with Notre Dame being his only Power 5 job. He is a graduate of Kent State, playing with them from 1999-2002. While he was an offensive coach at Notre Dame, he does have experience coaching DB’s at both Kent State and Western Kentucky, where he spent 2003-2009 before he joined on in South Bend.