Overtime win over Iowa not enough; Nebraska fires Pelini

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The number of wins and losses didn’t get Bo Pelini fired. It was the way some of those losses happened.

Pelini was dismissed as Nebraska’s coach Sunday after a seven-year stint marked by an inability to restore the football team to national prominence and too many embarrassing defeats.

Pelini extended his streak of winning at least nine games every year with a 37-34 overtime win at Iowa on Friday, but he never won a conference championship and his teams lost four games in every season he completed. Pelini was 66-27 and led the Cornhuskers to three league title games in the Big 12 and Big Ten.

“I didn’t see enough improvement in areas that were important for us to move forward to play championship-caliber football,” athletic director Shawn Eichorst said at a news conference.

“We just weren’t good enough in the games that mattered against championship-caliber opponents. It wasn’t a lack of effort by him or his staff or our wonderful players, but I think new leadership was in order.”

Associate head coach Barney Cotton will be the interim head coach for the Cornhuskers’ bowl game.