I understand he was a nice guy, had Nebraska history, etc., etc., but he was handed the keys to a well oiled Cadillac and after year four it was obvious that the trend was off. We can argue all day if his final season was a resurgence or a lucky break due to a weak Big 12, but if Frank was really outstanding coach - it should be represented in his recent coaching tenure. When I look at his tenure at Ohio, I see a good coach, but nothing that suggests he would be consistently competing in, let alone winning, championships. Honestly, he looks a lot like a Mike Riley - 500 record at a weaker state university.
Why the Solich love?
- Thread starter B1G RED RULES
- Start date
This is a reminder before anyone responds to the initial post: "The referees have requested that no matter how bad the officiating...errrr post...is do not throw trash on the floor."
I've said it before. Solich's destiny could have been totally different had the game in Austin not been fumbled away in 1999. He might still be here with a ring of his own.
At the same time, I see no need to throw dirt on the guy, he's been long gone, I'll choose to think the better of him, he gave a lot more to UNL than any fan ever could. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is going to out do the success Devaney or Osborne had, Frank did about as good as he could but it wasn't enough, just like the three coaches that have followed him.
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YEP that 99 team should have won it all or at least had the chance to. ...It would have been a lot like when the Cowboys won the Super Bowl with Jimmy Johnsons players and Barry at the helm...Sure Frank was the coach but that was Toms kidsA few turnovers away from that elusive NC.
Because Mike Riley makes everybody else look good in comparison
The fumble at the 1 foot line on first down when the ball went into the end zone, I will never forget that
He's done well at Ohio considering Ohio.
He was turning things around here again.
Pelini was a god d coordinator at the time.
I'm not going to predict that he wins an NC, but he was fired at the wrong time. The 7 win season was bad, showed fight against Texas but it was bad.
He coached some great teams and had a very high winning percentage. Players need coached, he did a good job of it more often than not.
Franks's tenure here would have looked like Bo's. Decent seasons but never seriousiy competing with the top teams.
Solich was 9-3 the year he was fired!!! You don't fire a 9-3 coach unless he has a foul mouth like Bo. Pederson tried to go big time with a NFL coach and we have suffered for 14 long years. Time to right the ship and get Nebraska guys in there who will get us back to national prominence.
Frank was probably fired a year too early but there were problems with his staff and the recruiting that he wouldn't address. His recruiting was dooming him. He had virtually no serviceable O lineman other than a thug that eventually got suspended. He only had Ross at RB and Joe Dailey at QB. He might have been okay on D. When you lose maybe your best D lineman because a grad assistant is banging the DT's wife and don't fire the GA because he's related to your DC.....mmmmm. Thats after his previous DC's wife found out the week of the CU game that he was going to be a daddy....with another woman. I'm not even going to start on what Frank had goin on which would be highly frowned on by every university in the country. Frank refused to address recruiting and misbehavior by his staff and HP and SP had seen enough I guess. Frank was likely going to fail to meet expectations and SP didn't allow it to happen. The ensuing decade and a half of turmoil has resulted.
The three losses in 2003 were embarrassing. Losing the games that mattered is what doomed Solich that year.
The real problem is Pederson's Plan A, B, C, D all fell through and we ended up with Callahan.
So I hope the next AD will have the right fit lined up...I mean really lined up if the decision is made to part ways with Riley.
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