Frank was slipping to mediocrity. Bill has slipped to hilarity. He has completely lost it.
Man, I hate to say it...but was 2003's season really mediocre?
If you remember, after the 2002 season, it was alleged that Stevie Pedey gave Frank Solich an ultimatum. This ultimatum was "make SIGNIFICANT changes, or else."
We brought in Pelini. We made significant strides...especially defensively.
I don't know if the option offense would've continued to be the NU offense/solution. All I can say is this: going from 7-7 (2002) to 10-3 (2003) is a SIGNIFICANT improvement to me.
Frank Solich should have been allowed, at least, one more year. Our program slipped into "mediocrity" for ONE year (2002).
I hate hearing that argument. Since Solich, we've been mediocre 3 out of 4 years under Callahan.
Perhaps too many people are using Pederson's definition of mediocrity? I hate to quote Mark May but this is ridiculous -- "I hardly see 9-3 as mediocre."
Here's Ivan Maisel's take on it:
When the decision is made to change coaches, usually the reason behind it is painfully obvious (John Mackovic) or blatantly wrongheaded (Tommy Tuberville). But neither describes the decision by Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson on Saturday night to fire Frank Solich.
After going 7-7 in 2002, Solich came under pressure to revamp his staff and he did so. The Huskers finished the regular season 9-3, a significant improvement. If my math is right, that's much better than 7-7. Pederson disagreed, and in a short meeting Saturday night, told Solich that after 25 seasons on the Nebraska staff, he was done.
Pederson may believe that the Huskers' inability to compete with Texas (31-7) and Kansas State (38-9) in the second half of the season indicate a drop in talent that Solich oversaw and can't rectify. But the athletic director's cure may be worse than the illness.
If Pederson decides to hire a Walt Harris from Pittsburgh, for instance, he will be asking a passing coach to take over an offense built for the run. If you want to see what can happen in that circumstance, go watch a couple of Notre Dame game tapes.
By firing Solich, Pederson must hope that he will accelerate Nebraska's ability to return to the place it held among the college football elite for more than three decades. But change doesn't promise improvement. It just promises change.
-- Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com
I think Frank got a miracle in Pelini. But regardless, the recruits were gonna run out, and then where was the program at? The Crouch gem was shined out. Then what?
The "then what" would have been to give Solich, Pelini and the rest of the revamped staff another year or two to SEE what kind of recruits we could have/would have gotten. The problem is we will never know because they weren't given a chance. SP gave this staff 4 + years to try it out. Didn't work and they got an extension ! Who wouldn't give anything for the 3 'blowout losses' we suffered in 2003 over the way BC has driven the heart right out of this years team ? We were never ranked dead last in defense any other time in my lifetime. 9 (10) and 3 looks mighty good to me !