On June 16, people gathered at Newberry’s to hear from several Huskers who were visiting Alliance as part of the Big Red Blitz.
Athletic Director Bill Moos, Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Armon Gates and Head Wrestling Coach Mark Manning made the trek to Alliance to speak to fans at a meet and greet session. They then traveled to the Gering Civic Center that afternoon to meet with fans there.
Each of the Huskers spoke with the Alliance Times-Herald before the event. Moos explained that he is most excited to see student athletes have the chance to play since being limited due to COVID-19.
“It was tough this last year because there’s no better fan base than Nebraska, and we missed all of our fans,” said Moos. “They weren’t there in any of our sports until we got a little bit later in the spring. I’m going to be happy to see them performing in front of our great fans, and for our fans to be able to observe it.
“I learned real fast that the people of Nebraska want to see us and want to talk to us, and that’s important,” Moos said. “We’re so fortunate to have them coming to Lincoln for all of our events. It’s important for us to get out the communities as well. That’s what today is all about. We’re in 20 different communities, and we’re excited about that because folks are ready to get back to normal, and that’s where we’re headed.”
Moos said he believes the Husker athletics program is on course to have a bright future.
“I’ve hired 11 head coaches since I’ve been at Nebraska in less than four years,” said Moos. “They joined a great group that I inherited. We’ve restructured the department. We’re doing things as good, and probably better than any of our competition, and it’s showing on the scoreboard. We just won a Big 10 championship in baseball. We won a national championship in bowling. We’ve had 11 Big 10 individual champions. We’re just excelling academically. It’s a good time to be a Husker.”
Gates explained that he is looking forward to helping display the talents found in the basketball program.
“I’m looking forward to putting a great group out there and competing in the Big 10 better than we have in the first couple years in the Hoiberg era,” Gates said. “We’ve worked tirelessly, and now we’re just trying to put those final pieces together since we have that core of our group finally in place. We have to make sure we take those newcomers and piece those guys in so we can continue going on that upward trajectory. We’re looking to win some Big 10 championships.”
Gates said student athletes who wish to become Huskers should stick to a schedule.
“Put a schedule together and make sure you follow it,” Gates said. “When you get that schedule, make sure you follow it. It’s all about prioritizing your time. When we get our kids, they’re students first, and then athletes second. So, we make sure they get their daily schedule together and we pencil in the basketball development part around their classroom part.
“I would say lock in on your academics,” said Gates. “Then, whatever sport that you love, make sure that you put the time in. It’s called investing in yourself and investing in what you want to be successful in. Don’t get discouraged if you have a letdown. Use that as a chip on your shoulder and overcome that adversity that you’re facing at that given moment. It could be anything. Never give in. Anything is possible, and prioritize.”
Manning said he hopes that his wrestlers continue to develop during the off season, noting that he is looking forward to the season ahead.
“We have five seniors coming back, and I’m looking forward to their expectations for the team and program, and how they carry those goals moving forward,” said Manning.
Manning offered advice to area wrestlers as they move forward through their wrestling career with the hope of becoming Huskers.
“Be coachable,” said Manning. “Keep working at your craft, and be a student of the game. Just get your body in good condition, and that’ll control a lot of your mindset and mental makeup. Train hard, whatever you do, and be active in other sports.”