Conference Big Eight Conference Offensive scheme Wing T | 1961 record 3–6–1 (2–5 Big 8) Home stadium Memorial Stadium | |
Head coach Bill Jennings (5th year) | ||
The 1961 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big Eight Conference in the 1961 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Jennings and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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Before the season
Coach Jennings returned for a fifth year, with pressure mounting to put an end to the string of losing seasons that preceded his arrival. There were no changes to his assistant coaching staff for the first time in his tenure, providing a small amount of hope for enough consistency in coaching that might translate to success on the field. The schedule was favorable, with a home field Syracuse match as the only powerhouse nonconference foe on the slate, though it was those games that Jennings tended to win with an upset.
After the season
In five seasons as the head coach of the Nebraska football program, Bill Jennings compiled a 15-34-1 record, including an 8-24 record in the conference (4-14 as the Big Seven, 4-10 as the Big 8). After the season, the University of Nebraska replaced Jennings with Bob Devaney, who had been successful at Wyoming, going 35-10-5 in Laramie. Devaney would go on to a great career as the head coach, as he helped to transform Nebraska from a losing football program into one of the most successful programs in college football history. The 3-6-1 season of 1961 would also be the last time the Cornhuskers ended the season with a losing record during the 20th century. Nebraska would not finish below .500 until the 2004 season.