Bo Pelini is the new coach of Youngstown State. Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Bo Pelini, fired by Nebraska after seven seasons, will be named head coach at Youngstown State University.
Pelini will be introduced on Wednesday at a news conference.
Reports of the possibility were shot down recently by Pelini, who is known to be bristly with media and labeled the headlines “a complete fabrication.”
Pelini, 47, is a Youngstown native and former Ohio State defensive back. Former Ohio Stae coach Jim Tressel is the president at Youngstown State.
Pelini was 67-27 at Nebraska. He will replace Eric Wolford, who was fired after going 7-5 in 2014.
—Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman will become the new head coach at the University of Houston, but first he plans to finish his job with the Buckeyes in the first College Football Playoff.
Herman, 39, signed a five-year, $6.75 million contract with Houston to return to the state in which he spent the first 10 years of his coaching career. He replaces Tony Levine, who had coached the Cougars for three seasons after Kevin Sumlin took over at Texas A&M. Levine was fired Dec. 8.
The Buckeyes, who won the Big Ten championship and will play Alabama in the national semifinals on Jan. 1, rank fourth in the nation in scoring with 45.2 points per game all while surviving three changes at quarterback since the start of fall camp in August.
—LSU coach Les Miles wants to hush reports that he is leaving Baton Rouge to return to his alma mater, Michigan.
Miles said he has not been contacted by Michigan directly or through his Dallas-based agent. The high-profile vacancy at Michigan prompted reports last week that Miles would replace Brady Hoke as head coach in Ann Arbor. Miles was an offensive lineman for the Wolverines and assistant coach from 1987 to 1994.
He said Monday he wants the Tigers to be able to focus on Notre Dame and the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.
—Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen denies speaking with other schools about head coaching openings.
In a text message to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger on Tuesday, Mullen said there has been no dialogue about vacancies in other programs. Mississippi State’s sixth-year coach has been mentioned in connection with various jobs around the country, including Michigan.
—Three Florida State players and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota landed on the 2014 AP All-America team announced Tuesday.
Seminoles guard Tre Jackson, tight end Nick O’Leary and kicker Roberto Aguayo made the first team. Florida State, which faces Mariota and Oregon in the Rose Bowl in a College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 1, placed six players on the first, second or third teams. Aguayo made the first team for the second straight year.
Oregon and Alabama were represented by two players each on the first team, led by Mariota and Heisman finalist Amari Cooper, a wide receiver for the Crimson Tide.
Cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu joined Mariota on the first team from Oregon and Alabama safety Landon Collins was named from the nation’s No. 1 team along with Cooper.
—After leading TCU to a 12-1 regular-season record and its first Big 12 championship, coach Gary Patterson received a contract upgrade.
Athletic director Chris Del Conte said Tuesday that Patterson and his assistants have new deals but declined to provide details. According to salary data, Patterson made $4,008,000 this season. His new deal extends through the end of the decade, Del Conte acknowledged.
In 14 seasons at the school, Patterson has a 131-45 record with seven titles in four conferences.
—Pittsburgh coach Paul Chryst was to meet Tuesday with Wisconsin officials who are expected to hire the former Badgers assistant as a replacement for Gary Andersen.
Andersen announced last week that he was leaving Madison after two seasons to take the Oregon State vacancy created when Mike Riley left to take the Nebraska job.
Wisconsin policy prohibits the school from hiring a coach before Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. local time. Chryst is expected to be offered the job and accept at that point.
Chryst left Wisconsin in the 2011 season as its offensive coordinator to take the Pitt job. He has a 19-19 record at Pitt in three years. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Chryst told the Pitt players after Tuesday’s practice that he was headed for Madison but stopped short of saying he was taking the job.
—Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook indicated Tuesday that he will return to college for another season instead of jumping into the NFL Draft.
The two-year starter is a junior who’s projected as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft by NFLDraftScout.com. If he entered the 2015 draft, Cook could go in the first round, but talent evaluators see him more likely in as second- or third-round selection.
Cook passed for a Big Ten-leading 2,900 yards and 22 touchdowns with six interceptions this season while leading seventh-ranked Michigan State to a 10-2 record and a Cotton Bowl appearance on Jan. 1 against Big 12 champion Baylor.
Junior defensive end Shilique Calhoun has yet to make a decision on whether to turn pro or remain at Michigan State for his final season.
