Solich would be proud....

[Glendower]

Frank was my idol in when I was in high school. Gave me inspiration to play the game, being quite small back then. Heart of lion, a mean streak only seen on the field. But many forget that there were other reasons Frank left. The AD (unnamed) really had no choice in the matter. Carlesque shall we say.

 

I think a good man, that made a mistake. He paid dearly for it. He has had some judgment problems at Ohio to.

 

I think if some things had not happened he might still be here. He would have figured out how to recruit, and how to use his QB, as it seems he did that almost instantly at Ohio. Unfortunately as we talk about him he is having a bad season. Hope he figures it out quick and finishes on a high note, can not be that many more years left.

 

Would love to see him come back for a Frankie day. He deserves one for all that he did for this program, and the love he has for it.

 

So many of these "judgement problems" have been thrown around over the years. Many of which are fallacies. Which one are we speaking of here??

 

That's what I'd like to know, too. I just hear these rumors, and, after all these years, nothing has substantiated. Is this just mostly guessing? I'm starting to think that it is. "Oh, he probably blah blah blah..." Becomes "He DID blah blah blah!"

[GBRedneck]

But many forget that there were other reasons Frank left. The AD (unnamed) really had no choice in the matter. Carlesque shall we say.

 

False.

[Guy Chamberlin]

But many forget that there were other reasons Frank left. The AD (unnamed) really had no choice in the matter. Carlesque shall we say.

 

False.

 

You sure about that?

 

Because half of the problem revealed itself the next season in Ohio, when Frank was arrested on a DUI charge after passing out in his car.

[skersfan]

Unfortunately it is not false. People make mistakes, and some of those mistakes are made because of heartbreak over losing their jobs.

[Guy Chamberlin]

You can debate who inherited the fuller cupboard, Osborne or Solich, but Frank's first six seasons were more productive than Osborne's first six seasons.

 

You'd have to get past that 7-7 season in 2002 (and the Huskers did in 2003) but a lot of fans just can't do that.

 

As for Solich's Black Friday loss against Colorado, a loss so bad it cursed us? You may have forgotten just how cursed Tom Osborne was against Oklahoma. That includes nationally televised beatdowns of 27 - 0 in 1973, 35 -10 in 1975 and 38 - 7 in 1977. They were at least as bad as Frank's Colorado loss, and as I recall, the program rebounded. In the 1973 game, the 10th ranked Huskers never even got the ball into Oklahoma territory. 1975 game they rushed for 70 yards and had 4 turnovers.

 

Then again, there were plenty of folks who wanted to fire Tom Osborne after six seasons.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Unfortunately it is not false. People make mistakes, and some of those mistakes are made because of heartbreak over losing their jobs.

 

If Frank did what he did because of heartbreak, he was pretty heartbroken during much of his Nebraska career.

[GBRedneck]

But many forget that there were other reasons Frank left. The AD (unnamed) really had no choice in the matter. Carlesque shall we say.

 

False.

 

You sure about that?

 

Because half of the problem revealed itself the next season in Ohio, when Frank was arrested on a DUI charge after passing out in his car.

 

False.

 

He took the next season off.

[GBRedneck]

Maybe I misinterpreted "Carlesque"?

[Jeremy]

You can debate who inherited the fuller cupboard, Osborne or Solich, but Frank's first six seasons were more productive than Osborne's first six seasons.

 

You'd have to get past that 7-7 season in 2002 (and the Huskers did in 2003) but a lot of fans just can't do that.

 

As for Solich's Black Friday loss against Colorado, a loss so bad it cursed us? You may have forgotten just how cursed Tom Osborne was against Oklahoma. That includes nationally televised beatdowns of 27 - 0 in 1973, 35 -10 in 1975 and 38 - 7 in 1977. They were at least as bad as Frank's Colorado loss, and as I recall, the program rebounded. In the 1973 game, the 10th ranked Huskers never even got the ball into Oklahoma territory. 1975 game they rushed for 70 yards and had 4 turnovers.

 

Then again, there were plenty of folks who wanted to fire Tom Osborne after six seasons.

 

Tom was cursed against the Land Thieves. But he stuck it out and eventually gained the upper hand in later decades. Persistence and dedication, winning the right way and all that.

 

The Curse of Black Friday is different, though. Not so that we're cursed against the Fluffs; nay, it is the curse of being irrelevant. Since the fluke of us being in the Rose Bowl that year, not ONCE in 12, count 'em TWELVE YEARS has the Nebraska Football Program been anywhere close to the top nationally. No conference championships. No BCS bowls. I'm not a gray-hair expecting 90's glory every game and season. I understand there will be down years.

 

We've had our shots, but something always seems to make the ball bounce wrong, or hit the ground a second too soon. For some unknown reason we show up flat and get trucked by a fired up Wisconsin squad; or we have OU against the ropes twice, but they find a way to beat us, just like they used to. A kicker never kicks the ball out of bounds does so when it's the worst thing that can happen. Injuries to key players, every year. It's always SOMETHING.

 

What else would you call it? A program like Nebraska's with EVERYTHING they have at their disposal - incredible facilities, fan support, monetary support, sellout streaks, nationwide fan base, etc., and we're going on 12 years of second best or worse?

 

Call me entitled or whatever, but understand that I live and die between the whistles just like every other die-hard here. I was as excited as anyone with the Wester-catch, and counted it as a lucky break and a solid win. I'm not calling for a new coach or any of that. I'm just waiting for the curse that started one god-forsaken night in Boulder to die.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Fair enough, but the "trough" Nebraska has experienced between the years of 2002 and 2013 would be the salad days for a lot of NCAA programs.

 

I'm not a happy 10 - 4 season camper myself, but if we call the Huskers cursed I worry that God will rain down flaming hell just to show us that our definition of cursed is pretty candyass.

[GBRedneck]

You can debate who inherited the fuller cupboard, Osborne or Solich, but Frank's first six seasons were more productive than Osborne's first six seasons.

 

You'd have to get past that 7-7 season in 2002 (and the Huskers did in 2003) but a lot of fans just can't do that.

 

As for Solich's Black Friday loss against Colorado, a loss so bad it cursed us? You may have forgotten just how cursed Tom Osborne was against Oklahoma. That includes nationally televised beatdowns of 27 - 0 in 1973, 35 -10 in 1975 and 38 - 7 in 1977. They were at least as bad as Frank's Colorado loss, and as I recall, the program rebounded. In the 1973 game, the 10th ranked Huskers never even got the ball into Oklahoma territory. 1975 game they rushed for 70 yards and had 4 turnovers.

 

Then again, there were plenty of folks who wanted to fire Tom Osborne after six seasons.

 

Tom was cursed against the Land Thieves. But he stuck it out and eventually gained the upper hand in later decades. Persistence and dedication, winning the right way and all that.

 

The Curse of Black Friday is different, though. Not so that we're cursed against the Fluffs; nay, it is the curse of being irrelevant. Since the fluke of us being in the Rose Bowl that year, not ONCE in 12, count 'em TWELVE YEARS has the Nebraska Football Program been anywhere close to the top nationally. No conference championships. No BCS bowls. I'm not a gray-hair expecting 90's glory every game and season. I understand there will be down years.

 

We've had our shots, but something always seems to make the ball bounce wrong, or hit the ground a second too soon. For some unknown reason we show up flat and get trucked by a fired up Wisconsin squad; or we have OU against the ropes twice, but they find a way to beat us, just like they used to. A kicker never kicks the ball out of bounds does so when it's the worst thing that can happen. Injuries to key players, every year. It's always SOMETHING.

 

What else would you call it? A program like Nebraska's with EVERYTHING they have at their disposal - incredible facilities, fan support, monetary support, sellout streaks, nationwide fan base, etc., and we're going on 12 years of second best or worse?

 

Call me entitled or whatever, but understand that I live and die between the whistles just like every other die-hard here. I was as excited as anyone with the Wester-catch, and counted it as a lucky break and a solid win. I'm not calling for a new coach or any of that. I'm just waiting for the curse that started one god-forsaken night in Boulder to die.

The curse's initials are SP.

 

We were ranked in the top ten at some point every single season under Solich. Bo has gotten us back up there a couple times. If Martinez was healthy all season, we'd be top 5 right now.

 

We're close.

[GBRedneck]

Fair enough, but the "trough" Nebraska has experienced between the years of 2002 and 2013 would be the salad days for a lot of NCAA programs.

 

I'm not a happy 10 - 4 season camper myself, but if we call the Huskers cursed I worry that God will rain down flaming hell just to show us that our definition of cursed is pretty candyass.

GBR!

[motorboatjonesNU]

 

 

 

You are not missing anything, dumbest firing ever.

 

 

Eeeeehhhhh...don't know 'bout that.

 

Even though Frank did probably deserve another year, 7-7 in 2002 and three very bad losses in 03 did him in. Plus, he was a poor communicator (his sound bytes during games on TV were painful - 30 seconds of saying nothing), laisez-faire recruiter at best (with an aging staff that some members of which never left campus) and TERRIBLE game planner. Wasn't it D'Angelo Evans, who played under both TO and FF, that said, "With Osborne, football was chess; with Solich it was checkers." Spot on, there, D'Angelo.

 

Compound that with whining about not being in a BCS bowl after a three-loss (very nearly four - thanks, Mike Rucker!) 1998 season.

 

FF was a great player and a great assistant - but took the keys to the Cadillac and ran into the sides of the garage too many times.

[HuskerNationNick]

Firing Frank was the stupidest move in college football history. In hindsight, it's obvious.

How so? In 6 years, AFTER taking over a successful franchise, he won the CCG one time. Hell, he only won our division one time (again '99). Really, he couldn't with the NORTH division?! Sure, he took us to a MNC, but who is really proud of that? We got mud stomped by Colorado the game before, and never won our division. How we got in, still baffles me, and the outcome of that game shows we had no business being there. Following that year, he went 7-7 and then had a 10-2 season. Firing Solich was something that needed to be done, but when and how it was done was not the best of ideas by Pederson. IMO, he should have been gone after the 7-7 season, or given one more season after his 10-2. At least I can say Bo has done just as much, if not more here as a HC, that Solich did. Bo may not have a CCG under his belt, but at least he has won our division 3/5 years (while going through a conference change and should have won in '09), rather than 1/6.

 

Solich also succesful at Ohio? Not a strong conference, but here is his record there.. I think it speaks for itself.

2005--- 4-7

2006--- 9-5

2007--- 6-6

2008--- 4-8

2009--- 9-5

2010--- 8-5

2011--- 10-4

2012--- 9-4

 

I am not trying to bash on Solich, as I am thankful for the sweat, tears, blood and pride he poured into this program for 28+ years, but he was not HC material.

[GBRedneck]

Year

Coach

Win Loss Tie Pct. PF PA Delta

1894

No Coach

0

1

0

0.00000

0

8

-8

1895

Harvey Deme

2

3

0

0.40000

78

128

-50

1896

Frank Remsburg

4

3

1

0.56250

86

122

-36

1897

Warwick Ford

7

2

0

0.77778

150

26

124

1898

Peter McLaren

1

3

0

0.25000

11

45

-34

1899

Fred Sullivan

2

2

0

0.50000

78

77

1

1900

Karl Core

2

5

0

0.28571

34

86

-52

1901

Art C. Jones

6

2

2

0.70000

108

77

31

1902

Harold Monosmith

0

6

1

0.07143

0

165

-165

1903

Fred Sullivan

2

5

0

0.28571

45

159

-114

1904

Henry Hart

2

4

1

0.35714

57

83

-26

1905

Joseph Railsback

2

5

2

0.33333

48

141

-93

1906

Arthur McFarland

7

1

0

0.87500

158

28

130

1907

Arthur McFarland

3

4

1

0.43750

76

139

-63

1908

Arthur McFarland

3

5

0

0.37500

100

65

35

1909

Robert Woods

2

4

2

0.37500

26

106

-80

1910

Robert Woods

0

6

1

0.07143

0

125

-125

1911

Arthur Hinaman

3

3

2

0.50000

88

44

44

1912

Arthur Hinaman

1

7

1

0.16667

48

168

-120

1913

Mark B. Banks

2

5

1

0.31250

55

159

-104

1914

Mark B. Banks

4

4

0

0.50000

119

99

20

1915

Mark B. Banks

7

2

0

0.77778

168

49

119

1916

Mark B. Banks

5

2

1

0.68750

154

109

45

1917

Mark B. Banks

3

5

0

0.37500

85

114

-29

1918

Frank Gullum

4

0

1

0.90000

140

19

121

1919

Frank Gullum

3

5

0

0.37500

147

101

46

1920

Russ Finsterwald

4

3

0

0.57143

155

44

111

1921

Russ Finsterwald

4

4

1

0.50000

112

99

13

1922

Russ Finsterwald

5

3

0

0.62500

100

48

52

1923

F.B. Heldt

3

5

1

0.38889

64

88

-24

1924

Don Peden

4

4

0

0.50000

64

59

5

1925

Don Peden

6

2

0

0.75000

96

40

56

1926

Don Peden

5

2

1

0.68750

111

17

94

1927

Don Peden

4

2

2

0.62500

85

69

16

1928

Don Peden

6

3

0

0.66667

254

66

188

1929

Don Peden

9

0

0

1.00000

305

7

298

1930

Don Peden

8

0

1

0.94444

266

26

240

1931

Don Peden

7

1

0

0.87500

172

14

158

1932

Don Peden

7

2

0

0.77778

172

29

143

1933

Don Peden

6

2

1

0.72222

277

28

249

1934

Don Peden

4

4

1

0.50000

116

67

49

1935

Don Peden

8

0

0

1.00000

170

36

134

1936

Don Peden

6

2

1

0.72222

112

76

36

1937

Don Peden

5

3

1

0.61111

168

52

116

1938

Don Peden

7

2

0

0.77778

161

89

72

1939

Don Peden

6

3

0

0.66667

116

82

34

1940

Don Peden

5

2

2

0.66667

89

32

57

1941

Don Peden

5

2

1

0.68750

108

42

66

1942

Don Peden

5

3

0

0.62500

144

107

37

1945

Don Peden

3

4

0

0.42857

100

106

-6

1946

Don Peden

6

3

0

0.66667

206

97

109

1947

Harold Wise

3

5

1

0.38889

80

116

-36

1948

Harold Wise

3

6

0

0.33333

98

179

-81

1949

Carroll C. Widdoes

4

4

1

0.50000

114

120

-6

1950

Carroll C. Widdoes

6

4

0

0.60000

165

161

4

1951

Carroll C. Widdoes

5

4

1

0.55000

167

141

26

1952

Carroll C. Widdoes

6

2

1

0.72222

180

160

20

1953

Carroll C. Widdoes

6

2

1

0.72222

245

86

159

1954

Carroll C. Widdoes

6

3

0

0.66667

175

158

17

1955

Carroll C. Widdoes

5

4

0

0.55556

160

134

26

1956

Carroll C. Widdoes

2

7

0

0.22222

136

211

-75

1957

Carroll C. Widdoes

2

6

1

0.27778

134

156

-22

1958

Bill Hess

5

4

0

0.55556

159

102

57

1959

Bill Hess

7

2

0

0.77778

215

101

114

1960

Bill Hess

10

0

0

1.00000

269

34

235

1961

Bill Hess

5

3

1

0.61111

129

116

13

1962

Bill Hess

8

3

0

0.72727

261

112

149

1963

Bill Hess

6

4

0

0.60000

135

103

32

1964

Bill Hess

5

4

1

0.55000

122

99

23

1965

Bill Hess

0

10

0

0.00000

77

210

-133

1966

Bill Hess

5

5

0

0.50000

149

183

-34

1967

Bill Hess

6

4

0

0.60000

223

173

50

1968

Bill Hess

10

1

0

0.90909

418

228

190

1969

Bill Hess

5

4

1

0.55000

256

222

34

1970

Bill Hess

4

5

0

0.44444

178

261

-83

1971

Bill Hess

5

5

0

0.50000

240

173

67

1972

Bill Hess

3

8

0

0.27273

185

321

-136

1973

Bill Hess

5

5

0

0.50000

156

231

-75

1974

Bill Hess

6

5

0

0.54545

249

211

38

1975

Bill Hess

5

5

1

0.50000

164

143

21

1976

Bill Hess

7

4

0

0.63636

253

175

78

1977

Bill Hess

1

10

0

0.09091

241

361

-120

1978

Bob Kappes

3

8

0

0.27273

120

246

-126

1979

Brian Burke

6

5

0

0.54545

238

174

64

1980

Brian Burke

6

5

0

0.54545

222

196

26

1981

Brian Burke

5

6

0

0.45455

228

257

-29

1982

Brian Burke

6

5

0

0.54545

160

259

-99

1983

Brian Burke

4

7

0

0.36364

163

270

-107

1984

Brian Burke

4

6

1

0.40909

134

264

-130

1985

Cleve Bryant

2

9

0

0.18182

181

305

-124

1986

Cleve Bryant

1

10

0

0.09091

196

329

-133

1987

Cleve Bryant

1

10

0

0.09091

127

271

-144

1988

Cleve Bryant

4

6

1

0.40909

195

288

-93

1989

Cleve Bryant

1

9

1

0.13636

191

348

-157

1990

Tom Lichtenberg

1

9

1

0.13636

162

342

-180

1991

Tom Lichtenberg

2

8

1

0.22727

176

308

-132

1992

Tom Lichtenberg

1

10

0

0.09091

145

253

-108

1993

Tom Lichtenberg

4

7

0

0.36364

134

282

-148

1994

Tom Lichtenberg

0

11

0

0.00000

82

259

-177

1995

Jim Grobe

2

8

1

0.22727

161

320

-159

1996

Jim Grobe

6

6

0

0.50000

302

237

65

1997

Jim Grobe

8

3

0

0.72727

301

177

124

1998

Jim Grobe

5

6

0

0.45455

269

303

-34

1999

Jim Grobe

5

6

0

0.45455

271

287

-16

2000

Jim Grobe

7

4

0

0.63636

343

208

135

2001

Brian Knorr

1

10

0

0.09091

198

323

-125

2002

Brian Knorr

4

8

0

0.33333

299

374

-75

2003

Brian Knorr

2

10

0

0.16667

263

372

-109

2004

Brian Knorr

4

7

0

0.36364

221

271

-50

2005

Frank Solich

4

7

0

0.36364

192

336

-144

2006

Frank Solich

9

5

0

0.64286

276

253

23

2007

Frank Solich

6

6

0

0.50000

366

359

7

2008

Frank Solich

4

8

0

0.33333

289

327

-38

2009

Frank Solich

9

5

0

0.64286

347

298

49

2010

Frank Solich

8

5

0

0.61538

357

309

48

2011

Frank Solich

10

4

0

0.71429

427

310

117

2012

Frank Solich

9

4

0

0.69231

412

322

90

Totals

525 536 46 0.49503 19663 19080 583