Riley, Solich Interviewed for the Same Job at Vanderbilt

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
Frank Solich and Mike Riley once interviewed for the head coaching position at Vanderbilt.

It was in December of 1994, and Nebraska was marching toward Tom Osborne's first national championship. Solich, then the Huskers' assistant head coach and running backs coach, was interviewed for the Vanderbilt position in Lincoln by former Commodores athletic director Paul Hoolahan, according to Corgan's Dec. 23, 1994 article.

Hoolahan met with about a dozen candidates, and eventually hired Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach Rod Dowhower.

The article noted Solich's prowess as a recruiter, which often gets overlooked.

What if Solich had been hired by Vandy? It's an interesting mental exercise to ponder the ramifications for Nebraska football had that scenario unfolded -- especially how it might have affected Osborne's future. Remember, he hand-picked Solich as his successor.
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LJS

 
Well yeah, if Solich had taken another job before Osborne left him the keys, the last 19 years likely would have been completely different. Probably better, maybe even worse...who knows?

But what's this gem...."Solich's prowess as a recruiter, which often gets overlooked"? First time I've ever seen it put that way. Seems most tend to agree that he didn't recruit very well at all.

 
BRV920 said:
Osborne said that Frank was one of his best recruiters. I'll take his word on it.
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I didn't mean to insinuate he was or wasn't a good recruiter. I really have no idea. But, based on numerous discussions on HB, it would seem the general concensus was that recruiting tanked when Frank the Tank took over.

 
JJHusker1 said:
BRV920 said:
Osborne said that Frank was one of his best recruiters. I'll take his word on it.
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I didn't mean to insinuate he was or wasn't a good recruiter. I really have no idea. But, based on numerous discussions on HB, it would seem the general concensus was that recruiting tanked when Frank the Tank took over.
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Frank was probably a great individual recruiter as an assistant coach under Tom. However, he may have not been the best recruiting leader/manager when he was the head coach. I think those are two different skills.
Also, the recruiting suffered early in Solich's tenure as Head Coach due to a number of older assistant coaches that were under Osborne, and they probably didn't have the passion to recruit with the energy and tenacity that was needed.

 
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Tom would have stayed around longer as coach, if Frank had left. I remember reading Tom told him he would be coaching Neb, if he stayed on. So there must have been a time frame, for it.

GBR!!!

 
BRV920 said:
Osborne said that Frank was one of his best recruiters. I'll take his word on it.
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I heard a story about how Frank and Turner Gill went to a recruits home (after Osborne retired) and when they left, Turner asked him why he kept calling the kid the wrong name. Apparently, Solich thought the kid was someone else and kept using the other guys name the entire time. No, they didn't land that particular recruit.

 
huskered17 said:
Tom would have stayed around longer as coach, if Frank had left. I remember reading Tom told him he would be coaching Neb, if he stayed on. So there must have been a time frame, for it.

GBR!!!
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The story I heard was this:

Osborne told Frank when he made him assistant head coach that in 5 years he would be the head coach. When Osborne was in the middle of his greatest run he wanted to stay as the coach but because he made a promise to Frank he stepped down when he said he would. Osborne also thought that when he stepped down as HC he would be a lock for AD, and that didn't happen.

 
JJHusker1 said:
BRV920 said:
Osborne said that Frank was one of his best recruiters. I'll take his word on it.
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to insinuate he was or wasn't a good recruiter. I really have no idea. But, based on numerous discussions on HB, it would seem the general concensus was that recruiting tanked when Frank the Tank took over.
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There are a lot of things that have been said on message boards and radio shows that are regarded as truths even though there is nothing factual about those "truths "

 
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