Bo Pelini, a Youngstown, Ohio, native and one of only two Power Five conference football coaches to win at least nine games each of the past seven years, has been named the head football coach at Youngstown State.
Pelini will begin his duties with the Penguins' on Wednesday. He becomes the seventh head coach in program history.
"It is with great passion and enthusiasm that I become the head football coach at Youngstown State University." Pelini said. "This is an exciting time for my family and me as we return to the Mahoning Valley. Mary Pat and our children are anxious to get involved in the Youngstown State and local communities. I am looking forward to getting to know a tremendous group of football student-athletes who are currently part of the program. YSU football has a rich championship tradition and a standard of excellence which our staff and players will work to uphold both on and off of the field."
He has 21 years of coaching experience with 12 as either a head coach or collegiate coordinator and nine as a defensive assistant in the NFL. He was an assistant coach for a Super Bowl champion (San Francisco) and a BCS national champion (LSU). Altogether, Pelini has coached in 12 bowl games, 11 NFL playoff games and six conference-title contests.
Pelini spent the past seven years as the head coach at Nebraska where he guided the program to nine wins or more in each campaign, including 10 victories on three occasions. He posted a 67-27 record (.712 winning percentage) with the Cornhuskers and guided NU to four divisional titles.
