Youngstown State University football coach Bo Pelini has proven that you indeed can go home again.
A native of Youngstown, a city steeped in gridiron tradition half-way between Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Pelini took over the Penguins’ football program and in just his second year, he has them back in the Football Championship Subdivision National Championship Game for the first time since 1999.
“I have confidence that I could have success wherever I go,” Pelini said. “I think that’s one thing I’ve proven is that I’ve been able to win football games and know how to do things the right way, but at the end of the day, it was the right thing for myself and my family.”
The Youngstown State football team has not won an FCS national title since 1997 and last competed for one 17 years ago.
But the unseeded Penguins have an opportunity to exorcise those demons and bring that national championship drought to a close when they take on the fourth-ranked James Madison University Dukes at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, Saturday.
“I think you develop confidence,” Pelini said. “Confidence comes with success.
“I think we’ve gotten better, especially over the last month, month-and-a-half, whatever it may be. But you know, one thing, our kids prepare the right way, and that’s where it starts. They bring it to the table every day. They work hard, and that gives you an opportunity to have success.”
After a 24-3 loss to the North Dakota State Bison on November 5, the Penguins stood at 6-3 and heading in the wrong direction in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, but that did not derail the team.
Youngstown State won its final two games of the regular season against Southern Illinois and at Missouri State, earned a postseason invitation and has since run off four straight playoff victories, including two on the road, on the way to the FCS National Championship Game.
“If somebody goes out and beats you, you pat them on the back and you congratulate them, but you don’t want to beat yourself, and for the most part, we haven’t done that,” Pelini said. “We’ve found a way to win football games, and that’s a testament to our kids and how they prepare.”
The 2016 season has proven itself to be quite different from that of 2015, when Pelini first took over the program.
The Penguins went just 5-6, but four of their losses were by a combined 23 points, including a three-point game against the eventual five-time national champion North Dakota State Bison, and a two-point setback at the FCS No. 2 seed, Illinois State.
During those struggles, Pelini helped lay a foundation for the Penguins’ postseason run in 2016.
“I believe deeply in building a culture and having a culture of accountability, of hard work, of how you go about your business,” Pelini said. “I think our kids have learned. I don’t think we’re exactly where I want to be yet. I think that’s always a work in progress, but it’s moving in the right direction.
“I’ve always said, ‘It’s not about me. It’s about these kids.’ They have earned the right to play for a title. Hopefully, they will come out and play well, and I’m just proud of what they have accomplished.”
