The University of Nebraska's athletic department held a nationwide search for their next coach. NU President Clifford Hardin and Athletic Director William "Tippy" Dye wanted someone that would make Nebraska number one in the nation in football. In 1962, they found Coach Bob Devaney, the man that changed Husker football and made it the program we know today.

Devaney used Bill Jennings players, such as Dennis Claridge, and turned the football program around in four seasons. The game that made Nebraska believe in Devaney was the victory over Michigan in September of 1962. Michigan native Devaney knew that beating the Big Ten powerhouse was the key to producing a great football team. So when the Cornhuskers came back to Nebraska victorious, the nation took notice of Devaney and the team. The Huskers and the state remembered the passion behind Cornhusker football. Nebraska liked winning, which is why the 1967 and 1968 seasons minimized the euphoria fans felt from earlier in the decade. Two consecutive 6-4 seasons stifled Nebraska's recruiting efforts, and some boosters wanted Devaney and his staff fired.

In order to keep Nebraska's spirits positive, Devaney redesigned the offense with the help of assistant coach Tom Osborne. Recruitment picked up, and the Huskers played a nine-win season in 1969. Devaney remembered to put the "play" in football, that it was a game. This affirmative attitude set the stage for the back-to-back national championships of 1970 and 1971.

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