Nebraska’s Ekeler en route to head coaching position

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, July 21, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Chances are Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler won’t be in Lincoln for the long haul, unless it’s somehow as the Huskers’ head coach. He likely will be in big demand sooner than later, with his persona and work ethic paving the way in gold.

The 36-year old has been receiving a great deal of press since rolling into Lincoln with new coach Bo Pelini. The bulk of it revolves around Ekeler's sheer enthusiasm and pride for the game, which began in his linebacker days at Kansas State during the early 1990s under legendary Wildcats coach Bill Snyder.

A recent Omaha World-Herald piece recounts the David City, Neb., native as one who, during his formative years, once wanted to shave his eyebrows until a team trainer stopped him, sported a purple Mohawk, owned a pet piranha (of which he still has the stuffed remains) that he mounted above his locker, and recited actor Bill Murray’s famous “So I jump ship in Hong Kong” line from the golf comedy “Caddyshack," during a K-State fan appreciation day.

"I had the self-appointed NCAA record for having the most fun as a player," Ekeler recently told the World-Herald. "I will challenge anybody that says they had more fun than I did."

"I was an average-as-grits athlete," he continued, "and I knew I had to make up for it some way. And that was, I better play harder than anybody out there and have more fun than anybody. That's kind of what happened."

And Ekeler, who clicks with his players and those he recruits, parlays that attitude into this coaching style.

"Have you ever met Coach Ekeler? He's wild. Just talking to him, he got me all fired up,” highly rated quarterback prospect Cody Green said after committing to Nebraska.

Green was a shoo-in for nearby Texas A&M before Ekeler happened on the scene. Not only was Ekeler able to land Green, though, but he's also credited for nabbing eight other recruits during the past two offseasons.

It’s clear Ekeler a talented coach and recruiter who's also energetic, positive and hardworking. The one head coach who immediately comes to mind who has those traits is USC's Pete Carroll, one of the best ever.

It won’t be surprising when -- not if -- other schools begin courting Ekeler for major vacancies sooner than later. He’ll need a coordinator position in order to land a head coaching job, but that shouldn’t be a problem. For now, though, if he succeeds as a linebackers coach, the rest will take care of itself.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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