LINCOLN, Neb. -- After six weeks of uncertainty, Nebraska football coach Frank Solich announced the hirings Monday of four new assistants to his staff.

New Mexico State offensive coordinator Barney Cotton, a former Nebraska lineman, was named as Solich's replacement as the Cornhuskers' play caller.

Graduate assistant Tim Albin was named passing game coordinator and running backs coach, while Scott Downing, who resigned from Purdue on Saturday, was named recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach.

Marvin Sanders, who was also previously at New Mexico State as well as Colorado State University, will be Nebraska's new secondary coach.

Solich said he still has to name a new linebackers coach to round out his staff.

Quarterbacks coach Turner Gill, a candidate for the offensive coordinator job, was promoted to assistant head coach.

Gill, who has been on the Nebraska staff since 1991, said he was given a choice of becoming assistant head coach or offensive coordinator. Gill gave no specific reason for choosing assistant head coach, other than to say he thought it was best for his career at this point.

Gill will continue to coach the quarterbacks.

Cotton, who played offensive and defensive line for Nebraska in the late 1970s, promised to bring a more wide open offensive attack to the team.

"I'm kind of a blue collar guy. We'll play a physical brand of football. We want to be the most physical team in the conference and in the nation,'' he said.

Cotton said his New Mexico State teams passed 35 percent of the time on first downs. Nebraska fans had long criticized Solich for relying too heavily on the run.

Under Cotton's direction, New Mexico State's offense has ranked in the top 25 nationally in total offense three times in the past six seasons.

Albin just completed his third year as a graduate assistant. He previously was head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State, where he won the NAIA national championship in 1999.

Solich said Albin is a proven commodity. He worked mostly with the tight ends as a graduate assistant.

Downing, who previously was a graduate assistant and head freshman coach at Nebraska in the mid-1980s, had been the assistant head coach at Purdue the past five years. He also coached for 10 years at Wyoming.

Prior to Monday, it was believed Downing would join the staff as running backs coach.

"You got a surprise today,'' Solich said.

Sanders joins Solich's staff after two seasons as secondary coach at Colorado State. Sanders played defensive back at Nebraska in the late 1980s before coaching in the small college ranks for nine years.

Solich also introduced defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who was hired Dec. 23. Pelini said he would bring an aggressive style of defense to the Huskers.

"The schemes will be there, but it's up to the players to execute them,'' Pelini said.

Solich's moves came after the Huskers worst season in 41 years. Nebraska finished 7-7 after losing 27-23 in three Independence Bowl on Dec. 27.