:::BREAKING NEWS::: Nebraska just announced that Frank Solich has been fired. More details to come...
Nebraska Coach Frank Solich Fired http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/s...html/College/AP.V6589.AP-FBC-Nebraska-So.html OMAHA, Neb. (AP)--Nebraska football coach Frank Solich was fired Saturday night after winning more than 75 percent of his games over six seasons but failing to keep the Cornhuskers as the national powerhouse they were under Tom Osborne. The firing by athletic director Steve Pederson was first reported by the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star. ``He's pretty strong, but he's disappointed tonight,'' Solich's son-in-law, Jon Dalton, told The Associated Press. ``I don't know the reason behind it,'' Dalton said. ``Get Steve to tell you. This is a sad day for the state of Nebraska.'' Solich and Pederson could not be reached for comment. Nebraska spokespeople Chris Anderson and Keith Mann did not immediately return telephone messages left by The Associated Press late Saturday. Solich had just finished a 9-3 regular season with Friday's 31-22 victory at Colorado. He was 58-19 in six seasons. Pinnacle Sports Network, the rights holder for Nebraska radio broadcasts, reported that first-year defensive coordinator Bo Pelini would be the interim head coach. The current group of assistants will coach the in Nebraska's upcoming bowl game. It was unknown whether any of the assistants will be retained after the bowl. ``Frank just said it was over, and that Steve (Pederson) would be contacting us,'' offensive coordinator Barney Cotton told the Lincoln Journal Star. Solich took over after Osborne retired after the 1997 season. The Cornhuskers won at least a share of the national title in three of Osborne's final four seasons. Solich was 42-9 in his first four seasons. He was Big 12 coach of the year in 1999 and 2001, won the '99 conference title and his team played for the national championship after the '01 season. But Solich's success was downplayed because critics said he won with players recruited by Osborne. The Cornhuskers went 7-7 in 2002--the team's worst season since 1961--and struggled against quality opponents this season. Their three losses all were by more than 17 points, capped by a 38-9 loss to Kansas State--Nebraska's worst at home since 1958 _ in the final home game of the season. Solich's record for his six seasons was 58-19. The last Nebraska head football coach to be fired was Bill Jennings, who was removed and replaced by Bob Devaney in 1962. Solich played fullback for Nebraska from 1963-65. He was assistant to Osborne for 19 years beginning in 1979.
I think it was time for a change. I personally think they should bring in a coach from outside the Nebraska family....they need to shake things up and get out of the habit of running the ball on 95% of their plays.....
My latin teacher, is a huge cornhuskers fan and thinks its great he's leaving too. He thinks it might of been Lord that cost him his job because Lord cant pass worth a crap and had to run the option almost every play.
Its always tough to see someone fired who has been with a program as long a Solich has. However they really need some new bood in the program to shake things up a little. Since Osborne left they have not been able to recruit the calaber of players it takes to sucessfully run the option. They also cant have to many off years becase winning is the only thing that makes players want to go there.
Wow Tom Osborne even said he deserved one more year last week. Amazing they went against his wishes. Time for change at Nebraska, get ready for Walt Harris (Pitt coach)
Very interesting. I was trying to think of a big name they will go after and I think you may have it.
'Twould definitely shake things up. This would also give the Spurrious one, and Nebraska, another chance in a few years to face Bowden for a National Title. Just may happen... Spurrious wants to quit the 'skins anyway. It's obvious since he quit calling the offensive plays a few weeks back, and he's an offensive coach. We'll see.
Very strange decision. And I wonder what happened behind the scenes. I would not have been shocked had he been fired after last year w/a .500 record. You can't ask a coach to take a .500 team to the BCS. 9-3 would seem to be a significant improvement. I really don't get it. If they wanted Solich gone, they should have done it last year.
I wonder... Is the option dead as an offense, or does Nebraska just not have the athletes to run it as in years past? Nebraska is the last big time program to run it, and it looks like that could be in serious jeopardy. Replace Jamal Lord with Vince Young, then does it work? As for Spurrier, don't laugh. OU was an option team before Stoops got there...
I think the option game is as obsolete as prop-driven fighter planes, battleships and Commodore 64 computers. It has degenerated to nothing more than a gadget play. You have to have balance on offense, able to make defenses respect both the run and the pass because more great athletes play defense than ever before. It used to be that most of your great athletes played on offense, but with guys like Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, it is cool to play defense and those guys are as athletic as any in the game. You can't run 90 percent of time against those sort of athletes and with the new schemes like the zone blitz and other wrinkles. But instead of adapting to the times, Solich stuck with what worked in the past. I hate to bring up Coach Bryant, but he changed offenses midway through his career to the wishbone and won several more national championships after he and the Tide were written off. Solich should have recruited a more passing-oriented QB and got some receivers to give the Huskers a more balanced look, but in the end, it was his stubbornness that was his undoing.
