Bo Pelini
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Coach and former player Mark Anthony "Bo" Pelini hails from Youngstown, Ohio. He was the defensive coordinator for the Louisiana State University Tigers football team. Carl Pelini, former Florida Atlantic head coach and Bo's elder brother, has served as an assistant coach on numerous occasions. Bo Pelini was born on December 13, 1967, and was nicknamed Bo after the Cleveland Browns running back Bo Scott. He attended Cardinal Mooney High School and played the free safety position for the Buckeyes of Ohio State University. He earned his master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1992.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 13 Dec, 1967
- Age
- 52 yrs
- Occupations
- Coach
American football player
Show all facts
- Citizenship
- United States of America
- Birth Place
- Youngstown
- Education
- Ohio State University
- Gender
- Male
- Description
- American college football player, college football coach
- Net Worth 2021
- 15 million
Heading into NFL Coaching
In 1991, Pelini began his coaching career at the University of Iowa as an assistant for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Along with his coaching career, he had a brief stint as the line-backers coach for the Detroit Drive. In 1994, he got his first coaching job in the NFL when he was hired as the scouting assistant for the San Francisco 49ers. He was soon promoted to the defensive backs coach. His first taste of the Super Bowl was in 1995 when he coached the 49ers to a win against the San Diego Chargers with a final score of 49-26.
In 1997, Pelini was appointed as the defensive backs coach for the New England Patriots. He helped the Patriots reach the playoffs twice. In 2000, Pelini was hired by the Green Bay Packers as the linebackers coach under head coach Mike Sherman. During his tenure with the Packers, the team posted an impressive 33-15 record.
Return to College Coaching
Pelini returned to college coaching programs in 2003 when he was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. At the time, Nebraska's defense ranked 55th nationally, but with Pelini as the new defensive coordinator, their ranking almost improved overnight to 11th. Despite posting a 9-3 record in his first season, Pelini was fired by the new athletic director, Steve Pederson. With the departure of Pelini, Nebraska's defensive rank sank back down to 56th nationally.
In 2004, Pelini was hired as the co-defensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners. He helped the team to a 12–0 regular season and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. In 2005, he was hired by Louisiana State University as their defensive coordinator. His success story continued with Louisiana taking 3rd place in overall defense under Pelini's coaching, and the team won the BCS National Championship following the 2007 season.
