Nebraska Hires Thornton Powers As Grid Coaches I at at LINCOLN (AP) - The University of Nebraska Board of Regents Saturday approved the hiring of two ex-Cornhusker football players as assistant coacTies Bill (Thunder) Thornton and Warren Powers were assigned salaries of $11000 apiece Monte Kiffin already an assistant football coach had his salary raised by the regents to $11000 from $S500 Thornton is also the first full-time Negro coach ever hired by the university NU officials said that some Negro graduates have helped coach in the past but that Thornton is the first given fulltime status Both Thornton and Powers played professional football after their careers at NU Thornton played with the St Louis Cardinals until last year when he coached a Toledo Ohio high school team Powers played for the Oakland Raiders last season Both also played one year under head ootball Coach Bob Devaney Thornton and Powers were seniors in 1962 the year Devaney came to the university ormer Assistant Coach George Kelly created the NU vacancies by accepting a recent offer to become an assistant coach at Notre Dame University He was the first member of Devaney's coaching staff to leave in the eight years Devaney has been at NU
