Which 'What If' Would Have Caused the Biggest Change?
- Thread starter Mavric
- Start date
Undone
All-American
That one borders on the absurdly unlikely to the extent that it's pure fantasy.
But yes, if we had gotten Bob it would have been a bigger game-changer than everything on the OP's list combined.
TGHusker
Heisman Trophy Winner
That is kind of a catch 22. I think Frank was destined to being a continual 8-9 win coach and no more as Bo would become a few years later. They both had reached a ceiling - so eventually you had to face the reality that either 9 wins was good enough or you fire and go for the big gun coach. Unfortunately, Peterson just fired and had no plan, no big gun coach waiting to step in.
Landlord
Banned
I don't really remember any of that as I was young, but going into '97 all Bob had on his resume was four years as a DC, and one year as a DC/AHC. Not sure we'd take a gamble on someone like that after we were so on top.
We wouldn't have taken the chance. If Bill B. would have had his choice of HC #1 on his list was, wait for it, Mack Brown. Mack Brown was hot and in his 5th year at North Carolina. That is who Byrne wanted to go after.
OH HSKR FAN
Special Teams Player
TGHusker
Heisman Trophy Winner
Mierin
Assistant Coach
Landlord
Banned
bleedNUred
Starter
Gotta go with #4
Jeremy
Starter
Firing Solich was the nexus, for sure, but hiring Callahan, to me, was just as impactful. From the losses to all the things I've heard about him and his staff, the glaring issues present from day one, it was absolutely a failure of epic proportions. Rivaled only, of course, by 3 years of Mike Riley.
If Solich isn't fired, I seriously doubt we lose in 04 to Southern Miss, Iowa State, Kansas State, and we darn sure don't give up 70 to taco tech. Not sure we beat Oklahoma or Colorado, but we probably would've still pushed for the big 12 north. The only ranked team we played that year was Oklahoma.
Maybe 04 and after would've been more of the same as 03, I would have taken that in a heartbeat over the crapfest we've seen since Pederson pulled that trigger.
If Solich isn't fired, I seriously doubt we lose in 04 to Southern Miss, Iowa State, Kansas State, and we darn sure don't give up 70 to taco tech. Not sure we beat Oklahoma or Colorado, but we probably would've still pushed for the big 12 north. The only ranked team we played that year was Oklahoma.
Maybe 04 and after would've been more of the same as 03, I would have taken that in a heartbeat over the crapfest we've seen since Pederson pulled that trigger.
OH HSKR FAN
Special Teams Player
Say the program stayed the course with Solich. At what point would people become frustrated?
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4skers89
All-Conference
If Solich could get 9 wins consistently, look competitive in every game with at least 1 promising 10 or 11 win season, probably 4 or 5 more years, at least. Failing to do any 1 of these, fans would probably start to get antsy after a couple more years and want a change to get back to contending for NC's. I believe as our glory years fall farther into the past and after some abysmal seasons with Callahan and Riley, we've become more patient.