Thomas William Osborne (born February 23, 1937) is an American former football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and politician from Nebraska. He served as head football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1973 to 1997 (25 seasons).

Dr. Thomas William ‘Tom’ Osborne is a former Head Coach of the University of Nebraska football team and is considered to be the most proficient coach in the history of American college football. He was the Head Coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team for 25 years and succeeded Bob Devaney, who convinced him to become a volunteer ...

Tom was born on February 23, 1937 in Hastings, Nebraska. He is still alive. He was an outstanding high school athlete in Hastings in the mid-1950's and then became the star quarterback and basketball player for Hastings College.

OSBORNE, Thomas William ("Tom")(b. 23 February 1937 in Hastings, Nebraska), professional football player and head coach of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1973 to 1998, during which time his teams won three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championship titles.

Tom Osborne was the head coach at the University of Nebraska from 1973-97 and compiled a record of 255-49-3 while winning three National Championships. More about his coaching career can be found here.

Osborne was named Nebraska's head coach following the 1972 season and under his direction, the program achieved remarkable success, exceeding any in its rich history. Osborne's 25-year coaching career came to a poetic end in the 1998 Orange Bowl.

Jan 16, 2025 · Dr. Thomas William ‘Tom’ Osborne is a former head coach of the University of Nebraska football team and is widely regarded as the best coach in American college football history.

For 22 years, Tom Osborne has been head football coach for the University of Nebraska. For 22 years he has coached winning teams. His .826 percentage, 229-47-3, going into this season's final game, is the nation's best winning average for any coach with at least ten years on the job.

He was all-state in football and basketball, won the state discus throw in track, and was named the state's High School Athlete of the Year in 1955. He attended Hastings College, where his grandfather, class of 1901, and father, class of 1930, had graduated.

He became head coach in 1973, retired after the 1997 season, and set numerous records and mile stones. In 25 years his teams never missed playing in a bowl game. He won 13 conference titles and three national championships.