Sipple: Time to honor Frank Solich at NU, Osborne says

[AFhusker]

Yes, thank you for putting our program in the gutter. Just stay away Frank, you did enough damage.

Sorry, you are full of the same BS as Stevie (Wonder Boy) Pederson. Yes, we should honor Frank Solich. He gave a lot of his life to this state and to Nebraska Football. Anyone who does not recognize that is just plain ignorant of the facts. Steve Pederson is the one who ruined Nebraska Football. Again, your ignorance is epic.

Read here!

He was a part of Bob Devaney’s first recruiting class at Nebraska, and became a standout for the Huskers in the mid-1960s, where he earned the nickname "Fearless Frankie". An All-Big Eight fullback and co-captain of the Huskers’ 1965 team, his playing career earned him induction into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1992. In NU's 27–17 win over Air Force in 1965, he ran for 204 yards on 17 carries, becoming the first Husker to run for 200 yards in a game, and subsequently the first Husker to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Solich returned to college football at his alma mater in 1979, spending 19 seasons at Nebraska as an assistant coach under Tom Osborne, four as the freshman team coach, and 15 seasons as running backs coach. In Solich’s 19 years as an assistant, the Huskers captured three national championships, and 11 conference titles. He was the position coach for many of Nebraska's standout running backs of the 1980s and 1990s, including Tom Rathman, Calvin Jones, Ahman Green, and Lawrence Phillips.

Osborne retired after the 1997 national championship season and named Solich as his successor. Solich directed the Huskers to six consecutive bowl games. Solich did win at least nine games in five of those six seasons, and finished among the top 10 teams in the nation three times. Solich compiled a 58–19 record (.753) at Nebraska.

Solich's 1999 Huskers defeated the Texas Longhorns for the Big 12 championship. Solich was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001, and was one of seven finalists for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in 2001.

For the first five years as head coach, Solich served as his own offensive coordinator, as Osborne had for most of his tenure. His offenses centered on the option. He also utilized such plays as the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass which became a highlight of Eric Crouch's Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2001.

The Huskers slumped to 7–7 in 2002, their worst record since 1961, and Solich shook up his staff.

Solich's 58 wins during his first six seasons as Nebraska's head coach exceeded those of his predecessors, Bob Devaney (53 wins) and Osborne (55 wins), both of whom are in the College Football Hall of Fame.[1]

How dense are you? This was already covered in past posts, but I'll try to make it easy for you so I'll say it again.

Who couldn't win with Tom's talent that he left him. It's the failure of recruiting that lead to the downfall of the program in 2002. And 2003 was a mirage that was going to show itself in 2004 no matter who was the coach. Bo's defense set an NCAA record of getting turnovers that couldn't be matched. And that defense covered up an offense lead by Frank and Barney that was statistically WORSE than the crappy offense that we hand in 2002. That's why SP failed in firing Frank so uneducated fans like yourself wouldn't have the mental capacity to understand that whoever took the job after him (and you wonder why nobody wanted this job? Look at the roster and you will find out) was set up to fail with the talent that was left and the expectations that are here at NU. That's why Frank should have been allowed to coach in 2004 and complete his failure.

The rest of that crap that you posted is irrelevant to the topic. Nobody gives a rat's @ss about him hanging around the program and riding Tom's coattails. As I stated before, by him being a Husker, it makes what he did to the program that much more of a travesty.

 

[AFhusker]

So your contention is that if/when FS gets recognized and receives a standing ovation, it will only be because we have "a very dumb fan base" ? Could it conceivably be that (even among the FS haters), an ovation might just be civility ?
For what it's worth, I agree with you that the "best fans in the country" moniker gets a little shopworn (especially if used as a form of self-aggrandizement by ourselves). However, when "outsiders" choose to apply that label we ought to be proud of it.

Every fan base has it's passionate supporters who tend to miss the blind spots in their program. But, I don't think it's arrogance and/or ignorance to recognize someone who spent most of his life invested in Husker football and reward him with some gratitude and respect.

Your second line is spot on. It's when NU fans call themselves "the best fans in the country" it makes me want to puke. All you have to do is look at how people acted during the Callhan era and the threating of thier children etc. It was disgusting and an embarrasment to the program, the university, and the state of Nebraska.

If it's for his playing time, assistant coach tenure, I have no problem with it. But I can think of many more who deserve it more than he does. But that aside, he doesn't deserve anything for his HC stint here. He's the one that failed the program and I don't know why he would get honored for that. The funny part is that most of what Callahan gets blamed for was Franks fault. But since he's a husker, he gets a pass. Which to me, makes it worse and I will never understand that line of thinking.

 

[Joe_5700]

Who couldn't win with Tom's talent that he left him.

MACK BROWN

 

[zoogs]

Cleared some posts from this thread. Let's try to keep it respectful, everybody. Do not attack another poster personally - disagree with the post as much as you wish. Just do it in a civil way, a way that doesn't derail a thread.

Lastly, if you're quoting a post that quotes a really long post, please consider trimming the unnecessary stuff out. Quote pyramids make my eyes bleed. Thanks guys.

 

[AFhusker]

Who couldn't win with Tom's talent that he left him.

MACK BROWN

He has numerous conference titles and a MNC. What does Frank have?

 

[Joe_5700]

Who couldn't win with Tom's talent that he left him.

MACK BROWN

He has numerous conference titles and a MNC. What does Frank have?

Mack Brown:

From 1998 to 2003 zero MNC AND zero Big12 championships.

Frank Solich:

From 1998 to 2003 zero MNC (appearance in 2001 though) and 1 Big 12 championship.

 

[I am I]

anyone who served as a player or coach for nearly 3 decades deserves to be recognized. it's not like he's gettng his name on the entrance to the stadium or something. it's just recognition.

also, i like the fact he was the freshman coach for 15 yrs...developing talent before they hit the 'show'...seems to have done a pretty good job of that

 

[OH HSKR FAN]

Frank's only problem was that he had to replace a legend. Look around at other programs trying to replace "the guy." You will notice similar results. I think the program panicked a little bit after the end of 2001-2002. We well never know if the football program would of self corrected itself had we of stayed the course with Solich post 2003.

FWIW, Craig Bohl just won a National Championship at North Dakota State.

 

[Count 'Bility]

So your contention is that if/when FS gets recognized and receives a standing ovation, it will only be because we have "a very dumb fan base" ? Could it conceivably be that (even among the FS haters), an ovation might just be civility ?
For what it's worth, I agree with you that the "best fans in the country" moniker gets a little shopworn (especially if used as a form of self-aggrandizement by ourselves). However, when "outsiders" choose to apply that label we ought to be proud of it.

Every fan base has it's passionate supporters who tend to miss the blind spots in their program. But, I don't think it's arrogance and/or ignorance to recognize someone who spent most of his life invested in Husker football and reward him with some gratitude and respect.

Your second line is spot on. It's when NU fans call themselves "the best fans in the country" it makes me want to puke. All you have to do is look at how people acted during the Callhan era and the threating of thier children etc. It was disgusting and an embarrasment to the program, the university, and the state of Nebraska.

If it's for his playing time, assistant coach tenure, I have no problem with it. But I can think of many more who deserve it more than he does. But that aside, he doesn't deserve anything for his HC stint here. He's the one that failed the program and I don't know why he would get honored for that. The funny part is that most of what Callahan gets blamed for was Franks fault. But since he's a husker, he gets a pass. Which to me, makes it worse and I will never understand that line of thinking.

This was a major facepalm, then I laughed, for quite a while. Then I was when I realized THAT ALL HALF A MILLION FANS IN THIS STATE DID THIS.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Who couldn't win with Tom's talent that he left him.

MACK BROWN

He has numerous conference titles and a MNC. What does Frank have?

Mack Brown:

From 1998 to 2003 zero MNC AND zero Big12 championships.

Frank Solich:

From 1998 to 2003 zero MNC (appearance in 2001 though) and 1 Big 12 championship.

Mack Brown in his entire Texas tenure has a whopping 2 conference titles. And didnt win a National Championship, he won Vince Young. He's a few points away from having as many losing seasons as conference championships. eyeswear2allthatsholy

 

[Comish]

I’m a little perplexed by the sheer degree of vitriol displayed by the anti-Frank crowd.

I’m like a lot of folks who have invested (probably) too much money, energy, passion and time in Husker athletics over the years and feel that contribution has earned me the right to be fairly vocal in my opinion. So all of us should feel entitled to critique, complain and b!^@h about most any facet of the program. And we do.

But the mystifying corollary is why so much of it is personal.

To wit:

I thought Cosgrove was completely out-schemed but abhor the treatment his family ostensibly received.

I thought Callahan was unreasonably loyal to KG and neglected the entire defense. He was also an untenable “fit’ for Nebraska and failed to grasp or even attempt to understand the culture. In fact, I was in Devaney at the basketball game where he was introduced and I swear he had to look at his notes in his pre-programmed stump speech (that could be utilized anywhere) when he got to the part about…………”I am so glad to be here in……(pause)…………..”Nebraska.”

And even though he cared not a whit about records, traditions, etc. (and that was infuriating) I don’t wish him ill will today. I hope he succeeds with the Cowboys and moves on to a HC position again if that’s his desire.

Craig Bohl couldn’t figure out how to stop a simple cut-back run but he’s won a national championship in Dakota. Good for him.

I thought Shawn Watson tried to be ‘too cute” and deviated from what was working in order to demonstrate his cleverness. But, I wish him well in Louisville.

I like Doc, but think the program will not advance under his style. The fact that I’d like him replaced doesn’t mean I don’t hope he isn’t successful somewhere else.

Are we going to go back and resurrect Bill Jennings to whine about his game-day strategy?

My point is that it’s fine for us to vent, but I’m mystified why it’s so personal.

Do we really think ANY of these coaches wanted to fail?

The sole caveat to my diatribe is Steve Pederson. For someone who was a native Husker and had served as recruiting coordinator, it is inexplicable how his unchecked ego sent him overboard. Braggadociosly asserting that they would build a statue to HIM outside Memorial Stadium was enough to summon the bile that I have been arguing against.

And for those who earlier maintained that Frank had run the program into the ground to the point where no one wanted to come here………….I would suggest the real reason it proved more difficult than predicted was SP’s egomaniacal one man, month-long odyssey was more in line with what Urban Meyer said when asked about his interest in the job…….. (Paraphrasing)…”Why would I go work for someone who just FIRED a 9-3 coach”

 

[Goal-line]

Yes, thank you for putting our program in the gutter. Just stay away Frank, you did enough damage.

Sorry, you are full of the same BS as Stevie (Wonder Boy) Pederson. Yes, we should honor Frank Solich. He gave a lot of his life to this state and to Nebraska Football. Anyone who does not recognize that is just plain ignorant of the facts. Steve Pederson is the one who ruined Nebraska Football. Again, your ignorance is epic.

Read here!

He was a part of Bob Devaney’s first recruiting class at Nebraska, and became a standout for the Huskers in the mid-1960s, where he earned the nickname "Fearless Frankie". An All-Big Eight fullback and co-captain of the Huskers’ 1965 team, his playing career earned him induction into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1992. In NU's 27–17 win over Air Force in 1965, he ran for 204 yards on 17 carries, becoming the first Husker to run for 200 yards in a game, and subsequently the first Husker to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Solich returned to college football at his alma mater in 1979, spending 19 seasons at Nebraska as an assistant coach under Tom Osborne, four as the freshman team coach, and 15 seasons as running backs coach. In Solich’s 19 years as an assistant, the Huskers captured three national championships, and 11 conference titles. He was the position coach for many of Nebraska's standout running backs of the 1980s and 1990s, including Tom Rathman, Calvin Jones, Ahman Green, and Lawrence Phillips.

Osborne retired after the 1997 national championship season and named Solich as his successor. Solich directed the Huskers to six consecutive bowl games. Solich did win at least nine games in five of those six seasons, and finished among the top 10 teams in the nation three times. Solich compiled a 58–19 record (.753) at Nebraska.

Solich's 1999 Huskers defeated the Texas Longhorns for the Big 12 championship. Solich was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001, and was one of seven finalists for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in 2001.

For the first five years as head coach, Solich served as his own offensive coordinator, as Osborne had for most of his tenure. His offenses centered on the option. He also utilized such plays as the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass which became a highlight of Eric Crouch's Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2001.

The Huskers slumped to 7–7 in 2002, their worst record since 1961, and Solich shook up his staff.

Solich's 58 wins during his first six seasons as Nebraska's head coach exceeded those of his predecessors, Bob Devaney (53 wins) and Osborne (55 wins), both of whom are in the College Football Hall of Fame.[1]

How dense are you? This was already covered in past posts, but I'll try to make it easy for you so I'll say it again.

Who couldn't win with Tom's talent that he left him. It's the failure of recruiting that lead to the downfall of the program in 2002. And 2003 was a mirage that was going to show itself in 2004 no matter who was the coach. Bo's defense set an NCAA record of getting turnovers that couldn't be matched. And that defense covered up an offense lead by Frank and Barney that was statistically WORSE than the crappy offense that we hand in 2002. That's why SP failed in firing Frank so uneducated fans like yourself wouldn't have the mental capacity to understand that whoever took the job after him (and you wonder why nobody wanted this job? Look at the roster and you will find out) was set up to fail with the talent that was left and the expectations that are here at NU. That's why Frank should have been allowed to coach in 2004 and complete his failure.

The rest of that crap that you posted is irrelevant to the topic. Nobody gives a rat's @ss about him hanging around the program and riding Tom's coattails. As I stated before, by him being a Husker, it makes what he did to the program that much more of a travesty.

Dense? You are the one that is dense. Frank Solich gave most of his adult life to the cause of Nebraska Football. End of story. Whatever else you have for your negativity needs to take a long walk on a short pier. The stupidity of not allowing Frank Solich his place in the hierarchy of Nebraska Football is epically stupid.

 

[Mavric]

anyone who served as a player or coach for nearly 3 decades deserves to be recognized. it's not like he's gettng his name on the entrance to the stadium or something. it's just recognition.

also, i like the fact he was the freshman coach for 15 yrs...developing talent before they hit the 'show'...seems to have done a pretty good job of that

:yeah

I really wasn't sad to see Frank go as HC. Not a failure but not getting it done either. However, a "lifetime achievement award" is not unreasonable, IMO.

 

[akita]

I remember always cutting through his backyard and his frickin Dobermans charging the fence at me.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I’m a little perplexed by the sheer degree of vitriol displayed by the anti-Frank crowd.

You and me both pal. It's as if they feel he was purposely losing games, which if funny, because he didnt lose too many. "Well, he had Osborne's recruits bla bla bla" Talent or not you still need to get it to produce on the field. Talent doesnt mean gimme wins. just ask Callahan. The way I see it, the folks in the anti Frank crowd are probably if not all the ones that are already asking for Pelini to be ousted. They have no perspective on life and judge everything by simple wins and losses as if it's the SEC. I want Frank to come back and be honored for a day. He deserves it and it would be good for our University and fans as well to come full circle and mend this relationship. I think Osborne realizes that that is the real importance in this is to close this divisive chapter that we've had hanging over us for the last 10 years. Off the field issues or not, they never have been officially disclosed so it's in everyone's best interest to go about as if they did not happen and presume that he was released for the wrong reasons. As for him having no talent for 2004 and end up getting fired anyway, who's to say he wouldntve had an even better season that year. He had a new rejuvinated staff and the players on the team in '04 wouldve been running a system they were recruited to run and learned for multiple years instead of trying to learn spanish from a french teacher.