Barney Cotton

College coach infobox
Name = Barney Cotton


Caption =
Title = Associate Head Coach Offensive Line Coach
College = Nebraska
Sport = College football
Conference = Big 12
CurrentRecord =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1956|09|30
Birthplace = Omaha, Nebraska
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
OverallRecord =
Contract = $190,000 [ [http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1200&u_sid=10214412 Husker assistants' salaries set] ]
BowlRecord =
TournamentRecord =
CFbDWID =
Championships =
Awards = All-Big Eight Honors Player (1978)
NIAC Coach of the Year (1995)
CoachingRecords =
Player = Y
Years = 1975-1978
1979
1980-1982
Team = Nebraska
Cincinnati Bengals
St Louis Cardinals
Position = Offensive Lineman
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1989-1994
1995-1996
1997-2002
2003
2004-2006
2007
2008-"present"
CoachTeams = St. Cloud State (OC/OL)
Hastings College
New Mexico State (AHC/OL)
Nebraska (OC/OL)
Iowa State (OC/OL)
Ames High School (vol. asst.)
Nebraska (AHC/OL)
FootballHOF =
CollegeHOFID =
BBallHOF =

Barney Cotton is the Associate Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.

Biography

Early life

Barney Cotton was born in Omaha, Nebraska on September 30, 1956, and graduated from Omaha Burke High School.

Playing career

Cotton's college playing career began in 1975 at University of Nebraska after the conclusion of his high school career at Omaha Burke. He played his first two seasons as an Offensive Lineman, then spent the next season on the other side of the ball, playing Defensive Tackle. In his senior season, he returned to the offensive line, earning All-Big-Eight honors while helping Tom Osborne's 1978 team to a league championship. [ [http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=2&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1354984&Q_SEASON=2008 University of Nebraska Coach Profile: Barney Cotton] ] .

Cotton was a third-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft and played for one season with the Cincinnati Bengals before moving to the St Louis Cardinals. In 1982, after three seasons with St. Louis, a knee injury forced his retirement. Cotton then returned to Nebraska, completing a bachelor’s degree in 1983.

Coaching career

Cotton began his football coaching career in 1989 when he joined the staff at St. Cloud State as the Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach, helping St. Cloud State to a North Central Conference championship that same year. Cotton was also a student of St. Cloud State during his coaching career there, completing his Master's Degree in Athletic Administration during his last year as their coach in 1994.

In 1995, Cotton was appointed as Head Coach for the first time in his career, back in his home state of Nebraska, at Hastings College. In 1995, Hastings College won the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference (NIAC) championship and made an appearance in the NAIA playoffs, and Cotton was named NIAC Coach of the Year.

In 1997, former Nebraska Cornhuskers player and New Mexico State Head Coach Tony Samuel hired Cotton to the same position he had held at St. Cloud State; Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. Although championships eluded New Mexico State during Cotton's six years with the program, the production of his offensive players generated impressive statistics. New Mexico State ranked nationally in the top 25 in overall offense in 1998, 2000 and 2002, and was ranked nationally in the top 25 in rushing offense for all six years. In his final season, New Mexico State led the Sun Belt Conference in passing efficiency, rushing offense and total offense. Six New Mexico State linemen earned All-Sunbelt Conference Honors during Cotton's tenure.

Cotton embraced an opportunity to return once again to his home state when he was hired by Nebraska Head Coach Frank Solich, once again to serve as Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach, and helping Nebraska finish with a 10-3 record in 2003. Despite helping Nebraska to a national top ten rushing offense and mentoring four linemen to earn All-Big 12 Conference honors, Cotton was let go along with nearly all of the other assistants after the controversial firing of Solich following the 2003 season.

Iowa State promptly hired Cotton in 2004, once again as Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. In his first season, Iowa State overcame a soft start by finishing strong and defeating Miami (OH) in the 2004 Independence Bowl. Over the following two years, Cotton guided several Iowa State players to Big 12 Conference honors before he found himself once again let go after another coaching change. He spent the following year remaining in Ames Iowa, as a volunteer coaching assistant at Ames High School, while awaiting the right opportunity to present itself.

That opportunity did not wait long, as once again a coaching change would influence Cotton's future. This time, it was back at Nebraska, where Frank Solich's successor, Bill Callahan was fired after four seasons. Former Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini, who had also been let go along with Cotton following Solich's dismissal, was named Callahan's successor as Head Coach at Nebraska. Cotton accepted Pelini's offer to return as Offensive Line Coach and also to take on the title of Assistant Head Coach, to draw upon his prior head coaching experience and assist Pelini with some of the administrative responsibilities of the head coaching position. Cotton was one of several other familiar names formerly associated with the Nebraska program that were brought back by Pelini.

References