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. In his final game, the Huskers defeated No. 3 Tennessee, 42-17, giving Osborne a share of a third national title in four seasons. The victory left Osborne as the first coach in college football history to retire as a reigning national champion. He also left the sideline with the nation's best active winning percentage (.836, 255-49-3), a mark that still ranks sixth all-time among Division I coaches.

Osborne guided the Huskers to back-to-back national titles in 1994 and 1995, then capped his career by sharing the 1997 title with Michigan. Nebraska's back-to-back national titles in 1994 and 1995 made Osborne the first coach to accomplish that feat since Bear Bryant in 1978-79.

Under Osborne, Nebraska became just the second school all time to post back-to-back perfect national championship seasons. In fact, Osborne's last five Nebraska teams put together the best five-year run in college football history with an amazing 60-3 record, including five consecutive 11-win seasons.

Osborne-coached Nebraska teams captured 13 conference crowns, including six of his final seven seasons as head coach. All 25 of his Husker teams won at least nine games and played in a bowl, with 15 of his Husker teams winning 10 or more games. Osborne's 255 career victories are the eighth-most all-time among major college football coaches.

His achievements were so highly regarded that the National Football Foundation waived its three-year waiting period so that he could be inducted into its Hall of Fame in December of 1998. He is one of only four coaches in history to have the mandatory three-year waiting period waived.

Widely known for his leadership, integrity, honor and compassion, Osborne has poured time and effort into building a unique mentoring program within the state. The TeamMates program, founded by Tom and his wife, Nancy, started with 22 football players in 1991, provides support and encouragement to school-aged youth with the goal of seeing children graduate from high school and pursue a post-secondary education. TeamMates celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022 and has expanded into more than 10,000 matches in a five-state region.

Osborne and his wife, Nancy, have three adult children, Mike, Ann and Suzanne and five grandchildren.

President Randy Hawthorne has invited Rotary 14 Club Members to join him for fun and fellowship at "Wine Down Wednesday."  Randy will be at Bin105 from 5-6:30 on Wednesday, January 21 and he is ready and eager to meet other Rotarians to discuss club business or share in your personal lives. 

Rotary 14 has enjoyed an exciting and energizing year welcoming exceptional Rotarians into our Lincoln community. As we continue to grow with individuals who bring fresh perspectives, leadership, and a heart for service, it’s a great time to refresh our members on the New Membership Application process.

• Each applicant will need a Rotary 14 Member to serve as their sponsor. Sponsors will need to fill out the following form: Proposer/Sponsor Form.
• A prospective member can find more information about joining the club on our website. You can direct them to go to rotary14.org and click on the “Join Now” tab to learn more.
  • This is also where Rotary 14's application is housed: Rotary 14 Membership Application.
  • The application will guide an applicant through all the materials they need to complete their application (completed application, sponsor, dues, biography, and headshot) and the voting process for new members.
• One a completed application is received, it will go before the Board for review and a vote. Then it will go before the Club for its First and Second Readings.
  • The First Reading will occur at a regular Tuesday meeting following the Board vote. The Secretary will read the applicant's basic information (name, profession, sponsor, reference, and ask for any objections. The  Club will have at least one week to submit any objections.
  • If there are no objections the Second Reading will occur at the next available meeting. The Secretary will read the applicant's basic information and ask for a Club vote. If the vote passes, the applicant will officially be considered a member of Rotary 14.
• During their Readings an applicant is welcome to come to the meetings. This is all explained within the application.
• Once the applicant is voted in, the sponsor will be contacted to coordinate an Introduction date with the new member based on availability on meeting agendas. The new member will receive their badge and new member packet. 

Please consider serving as a Sponsor to someone you feel would be a good fit for Rotary 14! Sponsors are responsible for: 

• Guiding prospective members through the application process.
• Introducing the new member to the Club.
• Helping them through the Red to Blue Badge process, explained in their new member application, and connecting them to NEOS. 

If you have any questions regarding this process, reach out to your Membership Committee, listed in ClubRunner.