Tom was extremely pissed after Frank was fired. His comment though publicly was “I thought we could have worked things out”. I keep telling people it wasn’t all about the record. There were multiple problems with the staff including Frank that Frank refused to address. Frank still viewed Pedie as the recruiting assistant intern who wasn’t qualified to give him advice.
Some of the problems were obvious alcohol abuse, one guy’s penchant for prostitutes, rumors of cocaine use, Frank’s rumored office affair with a young staffer, Carl banging a player’s wife, Bo’s erratic behavior etc.
I was told Pedie had tremendous pressure to fire Frank a year earlier from boosters but Tom talked him out of it. Yeah the record was better the next year but the staff’s personal problems were worse with the addition of the Pelini’s. I was also told that Frank and Pedie had a meeting during that last year where Pedie expressed concern about where recruiting was at and some of the staff’s issues and Frank told Pedie to “go f yourself”.
To say the least, their relationship was not good and supposedly that was the last straw. At that point Pedie asked his friend Wannstedt if he was interested and he verbally agreed to take the job. When the Dolphins got wind of it they unexpectedly extended Wannie’s contract. We all know how that ended.
That’s the story I got from a booster of substance who was friends with Pederson. Cocktails at each other’s house kind of friendship. My family member knew Frank well. Frank didnt have good things to say about the Pelinis after he was fired.
Ironically Frank built Ohio in to a respectable program largely with former Nebraska guys Burrow and Albin. His succession plan with Albin just had maybe Ohio’s best season even after losing Rourke to Indiana.