Nebraska to honor Solich twenty years after firing

Twenty years have actually passed because Frank Solich’s questionable firing from Nebraska, and he hasn’t publicly appeared at Memorial Stadium because. That’s about to change.Solich, 78, remains

a precious figure among much of the fan base, having actually been an all-conference fullback for the Cornhuskers in the 1960s, an assistant to Tom Osborne for twenty years and the head coach who won 75% of his games over six seasons prior to his unceremonious dismissal.With the prodding of athletic director Trev Alberts, the urging of Osborne and the invitation of first-year coach Matt Rhule, Solich figured now is the time to return to Lincoln. He and his household will be honored throughout the Huskers’spring game April 22 in what he hopes will be the start of a restored relationship with the program.”I have actually constantly valued the fans of Nebraska and always felt excellent about them, and the exact same way about generally the majority of the coaches I worked with there, “Solich said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press.” With individuals of Nebraska and the real friends I have there, it just made sense now to come back.”Alberts, an All-America linebacker at Nebraska in the early 1990s when Solich was an assistant, stated he has actually been trying to get Solich to return since he became athletic director 2 years back.”I’m truly looking forward to Husker Country honoring

Frank and thanking him for whatever he’s done as a player, as a coach and likewise honor him for what he did after he left here, “Alberts said.Solich was 58-19 in six seasons as the successor to Osborne, the College Football Hall of Popularity coach who won championship games in 3 of his last 4 years and retired with the program at its pinnacle.Under Solich, the Huskers won the Big 12 champion and completed No. 2 in the polls in 1999, and they played in the 2001 Bowl Championship

Series title game against Miami despite a jarring 62-36 loss to Colorado in the regular-season finale.The Huskers lost three straight games to end 2002 and ended up 7-7, the first time considering that 1968 they had not won at least nine games. Solich fired 3 assistant coaches and provided

up offensive playcalling duties, and the Huskers won nine games the list below routine season.But bad losses to Missouri, Texas and Kansas State and a 16-12 record over his last 28 games prompted first-year athletic director Steve Pederson to fire him. In discussing his decision, Pederson famously stated,”I

refuse to let the program gravitate into mediocrity. “The choice was divisive. Some fans agreed the program was showing signs of slippage; some argued Solich should have more time with his reorganized staff.Solich took the high road through the years when inquired about how things ended.”

It’s not my design to openly come out and talk about or complain about things, “he stated. “I know I’m a good coach. I knew that through my time at Nebraska, through my time at

the high schools I was at and through my time at Ohio. I can assemble a good

personnel, I know I can associate with players, I know I can win football games.”I didn’t attempt to look back and beat myself up or beat any person else about it,”he added”There were things that occurred that was difficult to take, however that takes place in life, and I proceeded. “Solich ran out training for one year prior to he was employed at Ohio. He invested 16 seasons with the Bobcats and ended up being

the Mid-American Conference’s all-time wins leader. He retired in the summer season of 2021 to focus on a heart issue, and he now resides in Idaho.Bill Callahan, Bo Pelini, Mike Riley, Scott Frost and Rhule

have followed Solich at Nebraska. There has been no conference championship considering that the ’99 title under Solich, no bowl because 2016 under Riley and six straight losing seasons.Solich fans have actually long contended that his firing twenty years ago put a curse on the football program which it just can

be broken by Nebraska making things right with him.Solich acknowledged he’s found out about the”Solich Curse. “”I will state this: if I had the capability to place on curses, there would be a couple of more individuals in difficulty,”he said.Asked if Pederson was among those individuals, Solich chuckled.

“No,”he said,”I’m not going there.”