Since the time he was a college student who made a “cold call” from a rotary phone to legendary football coach Tom Osborne, asking for a job, Bill Busch has always dreamed big. Never did his upbringing in small-town Nebraska deter him; instead, the values he learned early on inspired him to pursue his own dreams. That phone call ended up launching his 30+ year career recruiting, leading, and coaching football at the highest level, and also gave him “insider” experiences with some of the greatest leaders in the profession – Osborne, Barry Alvarez, Urban Meyer, Ed Orgeron, Kyle Whittingham, and others.
Despite a long resume of highlights (which includes coaching for LSU when they won the national championship), Busch is also grateful for the failures and setbacks along the way. Consequently, he has a plethora of interesting behind-the-scenes stories and lessons any audience would benefit from hearing.
You don’t have to be sports-minded to appreciate his message. Busch has a gift for engaging audiences by transforming his experiences into unique and memorable lessons. Don’t expect a cliché “pep talk” kind of presentation; he doesn’t rely on generic “coachspeak.” No matter the audience, Bill Busch will positively impact the way you “do business.”
Recruiting & Relationships: Whether it’s a football team needing players, a CEO hiring employees, or even a business seeking customers, recruiting the best people is the foundation for success. Among the hundreds of players Busch has recruited, perhaps the most famous are Joe Burrow and Alex Smith (once “unknowns” who not only became quarterback legends, they earned the elite honor of being the #1 pick in their respective NFL drafts). Recruiting those two turned out to be career-changing experiences, but developing a lifelong friendship with Alex, Joe, and all the other players he’s recruited and coached, means even more to Busch. To say recruiting matters is an understatement. The core of his success is on building relationships – which he considers the most important work any of us will do in this life.
Coaching: In addition to three different stints at Nebraska (yes, three!), he’s coached at LSU, Rutgers, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Utah State, University of Utah, New Mexico State, and Northern Arizona. Besides serving as special teams coordinator, defensive coordinator, and position coach, he’s earned a variety of accolades, including co-defensive backs coach of the year and being named a top 25 recruiter in the nation (by Rivals.com).
Motivational Speaker: Busch is known for his dynamic communication style on the field and in players’ meeting rooms. Now that he has “stepped away” from coaching football, he continues to seize opportunities to “coach up” different audiences based on his experiences with team-building, workplace culture, facing challenges, building relationships, and so much more.
Radio Co-Host: Busch is currently a “permanent guest” on the popular morning radio show, “Early Break” on 93.7 The Ticket, which hails out of Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s the most-listened to station in the state of Nebraska and also draws fans from across the world thanks to the online app, YouTube, and downloadable podcast. While it primarily features sports talk, the show also covers a range of other random, highly entertaining topics.
Bill speaks on a number of topics and can tailor his speech to your organization’s needs based on his listed categories.
“Buckle Up for the Ride” (Change Management, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Sports/Adventure)
In a profession that’s consumed with winning and losing, Busch has learned well how to navigate the highs and lows of life, both professionally and personally. In his world, those changes – which can actually alter the course of one’s life – occur in the blink of an eye, on a daily basis, every week, and of course, fluctuate throughout a season. Although not every organization or business measures its “success” by a scoreboard, every one can benefit from Busch’s inspiring, relatable, (and entertaining) message about facing challenges in a productive way.
“Leaders Provide More Than Just Pep-Talks” (Leadership, Team Building)
High-performing teams require high-performing leadership, and as a Division 1 football coach for 35+ years, Busch has vast experience with both. Coaching with some of the most successful legends in the industry has provided him first-hand experience with various leadership styles at the highest level. Busch also has a reputation for being a dynamic leader as a position coach and defensive coordinator on the field, in the meeting room, and in the locker room. Whether it was helping turning around a losing program into a winning one, or managing the culture of a team where the expectations were extremely high, Busch can share his insight on what helps build a strong, team-oriented culture with a winning attitude – a message that any organization or business would benefit from hearing.
“What Are You Selling?” (Communication, Sales/Recruiting)
In football, recruiting the best talent is a high-stakes venture; it’s the #1 factor in determining a program’s success. Busch’s esteemed reputation for recruiting is perhaps best illustrated by his role in landing both Joe Burrow and Alex Smith, who were relatively unknowns when Busch “discovered” them, and consequently, launched their legendary careers as quarterbacks who each became the number one pick in the NFL draft. But it’s not just Busch’s eye for talent, nor any particular sales pitch that he considers the foundation for his success in recruiting hundreds of top-tier players over the years. To hear some behind-the-scenes stories about what it takes to be successful at recruiting the best “employees,” or offering a “sales pitch” that is more than a gimmick, hire Bill and be “coached up” by one of the best in the profession.
“It was so wonderful to have Coach Bill Busch as one of our keynote speakers at our staff education day at Sutton Dermatology & Aesthetics. The overwhelming responses from the audience (with majority of the group being 99% women) were “just what we needed to hear,” “inspired!” and “loved it!” Without a doubt, Coach Busch was a huge hit. He was truly inspiring, motivating, funny, and real. Any group that gets the opportunity to have Coach Bill Busch as their keynote speaker is in for an empowering experience.”
Deb DeBaets, MA-CDT, North Team Lead, Sutton Dermatology & Aesthetics
“Bill Busch brought a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm to the room when speaking to our group. Our company had just undergone some changes, so his message about embracing change and being prepared when opportunity knocks, really resonated with our audience. Even though his expertise is coaching football, he has a knack for using his experiences to illustrate some important lessons that applied in the business world. Months after he spoke to our group, we still had salespeople talking about some of the things he said. His personality, coupled with his honesty about life experiences, made for a dynamic presentation. He definitely left a positive, lasting impression on our audience.”
Loren Sweigard, Executive Vice President, INSPRO
“We had Bill Busch speak at our agency meeting this week, and it’s difficult to articulate how moved the room was. There were tears, goosebumps, anecdotes of overcoming adversity, humor, and one very changed group of advisors who walked out of that room afterwards. I would encourage everyone to catch Bill on 93.7 FM, The Ticket, in the morning to catch his nuggets of wisdom or reach out if you are looking for a gifted speaker.”
Scot Moore, General Sales Manager, Futurity First Mid-Plains
“We had the pleasure of hosting Bill Busch at a team-building event for Cornhusker Winnelson, Lincoln Winwater, and Lincoln Windustrial. With over 30 years of coaching experience and many relatable anecdotes about the persistence needed to succeed, Coach had our teams captivated with his endearing stories of the ups and downs he has lived through in the cutthroat world of college football. Bill was a wealth of knowledge on a wide variety of topics, but his ability to relate to everyone in the room made it easy to see why he’s been so successful as a coach and top-tier recruiter. Thanks, Coach!”
Chad Mertens, President, Cornhusker Winnelson Company
“If anyone has a chance to sit in a room and listen to Bill, I would advise you to do it. The way he can light up a room, engage with people, and get a message across is outstanding.”
Colton Feist, Former Defensive Lineman, Nebraska Cornhuskers
“Listening to Coach Busch speak every day, we were constantly engaged and hanging on every word he said. The impact he made with his passion, his unique personality, and the quality of every speech banded us as a team to follow him without question.”
Garrett Nelson, Former Defensive Lineman, Nebraska Cornhuskers
“We had the pleasure of having Coach Bill Busch speak at our regional meeting in April. From the moment Bill walked in the room he was very down to Earth and was connecting with our team on a personal level by asking questions about us and having a genuine interest in what we had to say. Bill was a very dynamic, engaging speaker and we were very lucky to have him present. Bill did an especially nice job getting the important message of “grit, working hard, and staying positive” out to everyone in the room and he did it with the perfect blend of charm and humor. Bill is a very engaging speaker and much of what he had to say about his journey through coaching and his life resonated in some way with everyone in the room. Bill is very passionate when he speaks and his love for coaching and working hard is evident. We enjoyed Bill’s speech and would definitely recommend him as a keynote speaker.”
Sean Erickson, F.I.C.F CFFM, Regional Director, Modern Woodmen, Fraternal Financial, Lincoln, NE
“I first met Bill Busch at “Husker Night,” a local event that for over 40 years has brought in speakers to discuss the most recent Nebraska football game. Bill became an instant favorite. What immediately stands out about Bill Busch is his personality, enthusiasm, and unique ability to engage with the entire audience. It’s like Bill became part of the group, yet the clear leader everyone enjoys listening to. When it comes to football, Coach Busch has a knack for explaining technical topics in a way that those “less schooled” in the complexities of the game can grasp. Yet he also provides enough expertise to satisfy those who do have a much deeper knowledge of football. He has a gift for blending information with light-hearted stories in a way that keeps the discussion very interesting and enlightening. But it’s not just the topic of football that made him so well-liked; he genuinely connects with people and makes a lasting impression. He may not be coaching for the Huskers anymore, but I’ll always be a huge fan of Coach Busch.”
Dave “Husker Dave” Polking, Avid Husker Fan
Lincoln, Nebraska
