What Endures Beyond the Scoreboard
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About the Leader
Tom Osborne
Hall of Fame Football Coach, Congressman and Founder of TeamMates Mentoring
- Belief®
- Achiever®
- Self-Assurance®
- Relator®
- Responsibility®
Tom Osborne, Ph.D., is best known as the legendary head football coach of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, leading the Cornhuskers from 1973 to 1997. In 25 seasons, Osborne compiled a 255-49-3 record and won three national championships. A calm, values-driven leader, he emphasized both athletic and academic excellence — producing 46 Academic All-Americans and maintaining an 84% graduation rate among players. Osborne earned a doctorate in educational psychology from Nebraska and played briefly in the NFL before coaching. After retiring, he served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and later returned as Nebraska’s athletic director from 2007 to 2012. In 1991, he and his wife founded the TeamMates Mentoring Program, which continues to support thousands of students across the Midwest. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999, with the usual waiting period waived, Osborne is widely respected for his impact on college athletics and public service.
"It's important to have something that guides you through, something that's consistent throughout your life."
In the face of life's confusions, difficulties and setbacks, Osborne has relied on his faith and core values to create stability and clarity. Osborne's Belief leads him to cherish relationships over material goods and financial gain, and his desire to develop the people he's responsible for guides his choices.
"The most important thing was how we played the game."
Rather than focusing on winning games, Osborne coached his players to achieve the right process and reach team goals that weren't related to the final score of a game. To help reach these goals and build commitment to the program, Osborne strove to help players see that he genuinely cared about them.
"A lot of players trusted us."
When recruiting players to join his team, Osborne always chose to tell the truth, even when it was tough, instead of telling potential recruits what they wanted to hear. Osborne believes that his authenticity resulted in him recruiting more committed players who stayed with the team for longer.