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UCF Alum to Coach Nebraska Offense

In 2009, Nebraska averaged 147.1 rushing yards per game, and outrushed 11 of 14 opponents, including the final six foes of the season. Roy Helu Jr. rushed for 1,147 yards, and ranked fourth in the Big 12 in rushing to earn second-team All-Big 12 honors. Fellow backs Rex Burkhead and Dontrayevous Robinson each played key roles as true freshmen. Burkhead ran for 346 yards, while Robinson had 165 rushing yards, and the duo became the first pair of true freshmen Husker I-backs to each score a pair of touchdowns since 1993.

In his first season, Beck coached a prolific running game that averaged 169.8 yards per game, including three running backs who topped 450 rushing yards. Under Beck, Nebraska’s running game continued to improve throughout 2008. Nebraska had five games with more than 200 rushing yards in conference play, including a season-high 355 yards against Kansas State. In conference games, Nebraska ranked No. 3 in the Big 12 at 182.5 yards per game, tops in the North division.

Beck came to Nebraska with excellent knowledge of the conference after a three-year stint on the staff at Kansas. Beck was the Jayhawks’ receivers coach each of his three seasons in Lawrence, and was promoted to pass-game coordinator in February of 2007.

The Kansas passing game flourished under Beck’s leadership. In 2007, Kansas featured one of the nation’s most potent offenses, helping the Jayhawks to a 12-1 record and a No. 7 final national ranking. Kansas capped its season with a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the Fed Ex Orange Bowl.

The Jayhawks finished the year ranked second nationally in scoring offense (42.8 ppg), eighth in total offense (479.8 ypg) and 17th in passing offense (291.0 ypg). Four Kansas players topped the 40-reception mark, led by senior receiver Marcus Henry, who caught 54 passes for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn All-Big 12 honors.

In 2006, five Jayhawk receivers caught at least 24 passes, led by Fields who snared a team-high 45 receptions. In 2005, Beck’s receiving corps helped Kansas to a 7-5 record and a victory in the Fort Worth Bowl.

Before joining the Jayhawks, Beck was one of the most respected high school coaches in the state of Texas, serving three seasons at Summit High in Mansfield. He was the 2003 District Coach of the Year, and a year later, Summit High advanced to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs with a 9-4 record. The Jaguars finished the season with the top-ranked defense in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area under Beck’s leadership.

Beck was the head coach at R.L. Turner High in Carrollton, Texas, from 1999 to 2001, leading the school to back-to-back playoff appearances and consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 25 years. Beck was named the district coach of the year in 2000.

Prior to coaching in the Texas high school ranks, Beck worked at Missouri State for three seasons from 1996 to 1998, including one season as the offensive coordinator. In 1998, the MSU offense racked up 4,542 total yards-the fourth-best single-season mark in school history.

Beck was hired at Missouri State after leading Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., to the 1995 4A state championship – the first state championship in the school’s 30-year history. Beck was named the regional coach of the year in 1994, and in his final two seasons at the school, Saguaro compiled a 23-4 record, compared to a 5-43 mark in the five seasons prior to his arrival.

The 44-year-old Beck first gained experience in the Big 12 Conference as a graduate assistant at Kansas State in 1991 and 1992 under Head Coach Bill Snyder. Beck worked on the KSU staff with Carl Pelini. Previously, Beck coached the outside linebackers and punters at Illinois State in 1990, and worked in 1988 and 1989 as an assistant coach at Miramar High School.

Beck is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High, the same high school that Bo and Carl Pelini attended. Beck was a standout in football, basketball and baseball at Cardinal Mooney.

Beck played at Central Florida [1] and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1988 before adding a master’s degree in counseling and guidance from KSU in 1992. He and his wife, Tamara, have a son, Jordan, and a daughter, Haylie Marie.

Source: Huskers.com. (Pelini also confirmed Wednesday that Tim Beck, who previously coached Nebraska running backs, will become offensive coordinator and work with Husker quarterbacks.)