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  • Subject: GARY PEPIN wins, advances to face Tom Osborne
  • This topic is sticky.
  • Started by SMcKewon Mar 3, 2009 at 9:31 am
  • Last post by UtahHusker7 Mar 3, 2009 at 11:24 pm
  • This topic has been viewed 136 times and has 3 replies

View Topic: GARY PEPIN wins, advances to face Tom Osborne

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  1. #1 Mar 3, 2009 at 9:31 am

    Profile image of SMcKewonLocker Pass member
    SMcKewon
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    TERRY PETTIT VS. GARY PEPIN

    Terry Pettit wasn't Nebraska's first volleyball coach. It just felt like it. Pettit, who took over the program in 1977 and coached it until 1999, not only built Nebraska volleyball into a powerhouse team, but helped create the roots for Nebraska high school volleyball to become equally well known nationally. Taking a sport typically played on the West Coast and in Hawaii, Pettit created a definitive culture of winning at NU, taking 21 conference titles. His 1995 Nebraska team was the first team not from the West Coast to win a national title. His teams finished runner-up two other times and attended six Final Fours overall. He won league coach of the year nine times and national coach of the year twice. For his career, Pettit finished with a 694-148 record. He also picked his successor, John Cook, who has taken NU volleyball to even greater heights since Pettit's retirement. One of Pettit's best former players, Christy Johnson, is currently leading a renaissance at Iowa State.

    Gary Pepin has built Nebraska track into an international program over the last 30 years, successfully teaming athletes from around the world with those right in his backyard for a tremendous amount of success. He's won three national championships, 64 indoor/outdoor conference championships, led NU to 22 top-five finishes in the NCAA Championships, coached 436 All-Americans and was named 1994 National Indoor Coach of the Year. Inducted in 2008 to the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Pepin is generally known as one of the great long, triple and high jumps coaches in America. Pepin has coached a number of Olympians, most notably Merlene Ottey, who won nine Olympic Medals for Jamaica over nearly 20 years, and Priscilla Lopes, who won a bronze in Beijing for Canada.

    A tough call...but there you have it! Again - make your arguments

    Edited Mar 10, 2009 at 9:37 am

  2. #2 Mar 3, 2009 at 9:48 am

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    riverpirate
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    That IS a tough call. I'm going to have to vote Pepin on this one, simply for longevity's sake. NU track and NU volleyball have both become national forces, but NU's track excellence has lasted longer. I also suspect (although I am not certain) that the pool of institutions competing in track is deeper than those competing in volleyball.

    Two worthy candidates, each of which deserve the honor. Although getting a chance to lose 95-5 to Dr. Tom might not be the greatest recognition ...

    ------
    Patrick Runge
    patrickrunge@gmail.com

    GBR, baby.
  3. #3 Mar 3, 2009 at 11:13 am

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    Husker6_5
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    The analogy I draw is that Pettit is much like Devaney in that he took a program, built it from obscurity into prominence and then handed the reigns over to a successor to continue the success or fail on their own merits.

    Pepin, on the other hand, took a program and built it into one that has not only been prominent nationally consistently over the years, but also internationally.

    IMHO, therein lies the factor that decides the vote for me: Both coaches have (had) a long and notable career at Nebraska with national recognition, but only one has not only consistently drawn international athletes to NU to compete, but his athletes have competed successfully on the international stage: Coach Pepin.

    The pride of hearing the University of Nebraska being mentioned during Olympic coverage over the years, and of seeing our student/athletes on the medal podium gives my vote to:

    Coach Pepin

    Allen Schreiber
    arossschreiber@hotmail.com

    Husker 6.5
  4. #4 Mar 3, 2009 at 11:21 am

    Profile image of InvictvsRed
    InvictvsRed
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    I think this one has to go to Pettit. While there are strong marks for both of them in longevity and bringing NU into the national spotlight, I'm giving him the edge for two reasons:

    1. He coached a team sport. I've always considered this harder than individual sports simply because once you "finish" the evolution of the individual players, you still have to meld them and start the evolution all over again.

    2. His efforts in the high school arena. Anytime you can expand the base of your program while at the same time involving kids to the extent he has, you'll get my vote.

    (Besides, (be honest) who doesn't like watching volleyball more?) wink image

    And if we should win, let it be by The Code, with our faith and honor held high. And if we should lose, let us stand by the road, and cheer as the winners go by.
  5. #5 Mar 3, 2009 at 11:24 pm

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    UtahHusker7
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    Quote:
    Originally posted by Husker6_5  The analogy I draw is that Pettit is much like Devaney in that he took a program, built it from obscurity into prominence and then handed the reigns over to a successor to continue the success or fail on their own merits.

    Pepin, on the other hand, took a program and built it into one that has not only been prominent nationally consistently over the years, but also internationally.

    IMHO, therein lies the factor that decides the vote for me: Both coaches have (had) a long and notable career at Nebraska with national recognition, but only one has not only consistently drawn international athletes to NU to compete, but his athletes have competed successfully on the international stage: Coach Pepin.

    The pride of hearing the University of Nebraska being mentioned during Olympic coverage over the years, and of seeing our student/athletes on the medal podium gives my vote to:

    Coach Pepin

    Allen Schreiber
    arossschreiber@hotmail.com


    Nice comments, Allen. I will have to agree with your deciding factor...the International stage. World-wide recognition of a college in Nebraska is priceless. The Olympics are a true measure of how good an athlete is, and to see athletes from the University of Nebraska (not necessarily representing the United States, though) on the World Track is the final recognition for an athlete and their coach. I'll give my nod to Coach Pepin, too.

    Bo Bo Blackshirts!

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