YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- If there was any doubt why Bo Pelini is happy to come home -- and there wasn’t much -- this morning’s news conference was a testimonial to all he learned growing up in the Mahoning Valley.

“I gotta tell you,”  YSU’s new head football coach began as he stepped up to the microphone in the upper level of Stambaugh Stadium. “For myself and my family, it’s good to be back, good to be back in town. It’s been a long time since I lived here, since I graduated from [Cardinal Mooney] high school. I have a lot of friends here and I’m excited about challenges that lie ahead”

Pelini, who grew up in Boardman, met reporters for the first time since his appointment, speculated upon for more than a week, became official yesterday. Throughout his opening remarks, and then answering questions from reporters, he lauded the people and hard-working culture of the Mahoning Valley.

“Success, great things first start with people, the values and principles [that] define this area, the Mahoning Valley and Youngstown. It’s about the people who grew up here, the values, the principles. All the things that gave me the opportunities that I’ve had, all the 20 years I’ve been coaching, it wouldn’t have happen without my background here,” he said.

Pelini said his No. 1 goal is “to bring championship football back to Youngstown … I want to build this place up, get people excited about Youngstown State football again, and obviously winning is going to lead to that.”

He credited his predecessor, Eric Wolford, for leaving the foundation of a strong team. And he said he’s “going to lean on” YSU President Jim Tressel, who “took this program to the highest level. If anything he’s going to be sick and tired of hearing from me. I’m going to wear him out.”

Tressel was “a big part of me making the decision to come here,” Pelini acknowledged, citing the university president’s expertise, knowledge of the school and the community. Pelini also praised Ron Strollo, YSU’s athletics director, who played on Tressel’s championship teams.

“I’m jacked up to be back and the challenges that lie [ahead],” he said.

This afternoon he plans to meet with the athletics department and football team staff and begin the process of assessing “who wants to stay, their mindset and what kind of fit it’s going to be.”

Also this afternoon, he added, his wife would begin looking at houses.

While the framework of his coaching contract has been agreed upon, its length and other details will be ironed out in the next few weeks, he said.

“This is not a stepping stone for me,” he emphasized.

“I love to coach football. I love to serve the kids we coach. And I believe I have a great situation here, a tremendous athletic director and a [university] president who understands football and is going to support me – something I don’t know I’ve ever had. I have a great administration and a great community that I believe in wholeheartedly. … It’s great to come home.”

Pictured: Bo Pelini and his family when he was head football coach at the University of Nebraska.

Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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