What went wrong? Part 2

[Black Dean]

Many people say the juggernaut of husker football died November 23, 2001 in Boulder, Colorado.

The magic suddenly just doesn’t stop, I understand the hyperbole above, but taking a deeper dive into it, it was the drop-off of recruiting talent that finally caught up to Solich I believe, as we saw the following year Nebraska goes 7-7 and the wheels fell completely off. (Compared to the 30 year run Nebraska made, going .500 was the bottom. Today….it’s been our season goal the last 4 seasons)

After 2002 season Solich brings in a unknown name (NFL linebacker coach) Bo Pelini to lead the defense and they go 9-3 in 2003, and the staff is fired.

Now I was not in favor of Solich getting the job in the first place, but after going 9-3 (10-3 bowl game) and improving after making staff changes, the correct move should have been to give him another season at least to see what happens.

The question for Part 2 is, should Solich have been fired after 2003?

 

[Cash68847]

Many people say the juggernaut of husker football died November 23, 2001 in Boulder, Colorado.

The magic suddenly just doesn’t stop, I understand the hyperbole above, but taking a deeper dive into it, it was the drop-off of recruiting talent that finally caught up to Solich I believe, as we saw the following year Nebraska goes 7-7 and the wheels fell completely off. (Compared to the 30 year run Nebraska made, going .500 was the bottom. Today….it’s been our season goal the last 4 seasons)

After 2002 season Solich brings in a unknown name (NFL linebacker coach) Bo Pelini to lead the defense and they go 9-3 in 2003, and the staff is fired.

Now I was not in favor of Solich getting the job in the first place, but after going 9-3 (10-3 bowl game) and improving after making staff changes, the correct move should have been to give him another season at least to see what happens.

The question for Part 2 is, should Solich have been fired after 2003?

We all know the answer is no. If you were going to fire him it would have been after 2002.

 

[Pro_V_DMB]

I’m young, and didn’t really get into Husker football until the early 2000s. One common criticism of the Solich hire was that we’re hiring an assistant coach, instead of getting the pick of the litter with being the best program in the country.

Who were some names being thrown out that had an extensive knowledge of the option offense, but also be considered a splash hire for the juggernaut of 90s Husker football? Did this coach exist?

 

[Cash68847]

I’m young, and didn’t really get into Husker football until the early 2000s. One common criticism of the Solich hire was that we’re hiring an assistant coach, instead of getting the pick of the litter with being the best program in the country.

Who were some names being thrown out that had an extensive knowledge of the option offense, but also be considered a splash hire for the juggernaut of 90s Husker football? Did this coach exist?

The Solich haters will say we could have had Stoops or Mack. I’m sure they would have came, but good luck following Osborne’s success and changing up the whole offensive system that made us unique. I think an outsider at that time would have been on a real short leash with the fans. If a guy like Stoops would have been hired how would have firing a guy like McBride been viewed by our fans?

 

[Pipe Line]

I’m also relatively young in the Husker Football in the world. My first real memories are Crouch’s Heisman season. My answer/opinion is a 2 part yes: Husker Football mostly died that day in Boulder, while the nail in the coffin was Solich being fired. The older I get, the more I believe “don’t fix what ain’t broken”. It wasn’t broken with Solich, just needed an engine upgrade.

 

[Tyneb23]

No, but talks needed to be had about recruiting and philosophy on offense. Solich could of coached until Frost was ready to take over. Bo Stays around for a bit but lands a different job.

 

[BingoDingo]

I've been waiting for part 2.

The answer is no, but he probably still would have been fired the next year or so.

 

[KidsSeeGhosts]

Idk. I would say that 2002 pretty clearly showed that something was broken. Of our 7 losses, only 3 came to teams that ended the year in the top 25 (and one of those ranked teams was a 9-5 CU team that wasn't great). Our offense was bad in '03 and you can't really tell me Barney Cotton was the answer or a Joe Dailey+Cory Ross offense is lighting things up in '04.

 

[lee_carvallo_12]

I used to feel bad for younger husker fans who didn’t live through, or weren’t old enough to appreciate, the run we had in the 90’s. Now I’m envious.

It’s like the difference of being with a hot, smoke show chick that gains 200lbs, gets type II diabetes and has a foot amputated & the chick that is a solid 5 with a decent personality. You don’t really want either of them, but at least with the 5 you don’t have to listen to how hot she used to be.

 

[dsbigred1]

I used to feel bad for younger husker fans who didn’t live through, or weren’t old enough to appreciate, the run we had in the 90’s. Now I’m envious.

It’s like the difference of being with a hot, smoke show chick that gains 200lbs, gets type II diabetes and has a foot amputated & the chick that is a solid 5 with a decent personality. You don’t really want either of them, but at least with the 5 you don’t have to listen to how hot she used to be.

Which one gives better blowies?
NM, it’s gotta be the 5 because she has always had to work for it. Probably has a tighter asshole, too. Fuck, she seems hot

 

[Black Dean]

I’m also relatively young in the Husker Football in the world. My first real memories are Crouch’s Heisman season. My answer/opinion is a 2 part yes: Husker Football mostly died that day in Boulder, while the nail in the coffin was Solich being fired. The older I get, the more I believe “don’t fix what ain’t broken”. It wasn’t broken with Solich, just needed an engine upgrade.

2001 is when I really started watching husker football and paying attention

 

[Pipe Line]

I used to feel bad for younger husker fans who didn’t live through, or weren’t old enough to appreciate, the run we had in the 90’s. Now I’m envious.

It’s like the difference of being with a hot, smoke show chick that gains 200lbs, gets type II diabetes and has a foot amputated & the chick that is a solid 5 with a decent personality. You don’t really want either of them, but at least with the 5 you don’t have to listen to how hot she used to be.

It’s one of the reasons I want Frost to succeed so badly. I was alive, but don’t remember it at all. ‘92 baby. The thought of our last national title winning QB at very minimum making us nationally respected again and being here for the next 15 years is the best story. I know he’s not the only one who could do it, but no one else would have that story.

 

[redzoner]

I don't believe Solich was ever going to be the guy long term but he needed to either be fired in 2002 or at least given a couple years with his new staff.

Nebraska likes to fire coaches but we can't seem to do it the right year.

Ultimately though, I think this decision wasn't the big mistake. The big mistake was not trying to find a coach that could pick up what was still left of the Osborne culture and try and modernize it instead of hiring Callahan and completely throwing everything away.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

The Solich haters will say we could have had Stoops or Mack. I’m sure they would have came, but good luck following Osborne’s success and changing up the whole offensive system that made us unique. I think an outsider at that time would have been on a real short leash with the fans. If a guy like Stoops would have been hired how would have firing a guy like McBride been viewed by our fans?

I think the reality is that no coach would have been successful after TO. Frank or Alvarez or someone who would have gotten lots of leash probably had the best chance, but ain't no way the fun n gun DC is getting tons of leeway

 

[Adolph Coors]

yes. 2004 was to be a trainwreck anyways. How tf can you fuck up what you inherited….Osborne wouldve won 2-3 more titles

 

[Eaton Beaver]

Nobody could of made it after TO. Same for Alabama when Saben retires.

 

[Chi7397]

03 is a facade - Nebraska wasn’t remotely competitive in games against good opponents and recruiting had been on a sharp decline for several years. Maybe the perception is better if you wait another year for a worse record but that would be delaying the inevitable.

 

[pigsonthewing]

I say the juggernaut that was Nebraska Football died when Osborne retired. This is just my opinion. When TO decided to hang up the whistle and hand the keys to Frank this set into motion a chain of events that while in hindsight sounded like a feel-good story about rewarding loyalty turned out to have disastrous consequences.

On one hand I can't imagine myself being Dollar Bill and telling Osborne in 97 to shove the whole Frank taking over idea up his ass. Byrne would've been chased out of the state. On the other hand, whomever got the job was probably screwed anyway because it's next to impossible to follow a legend.

Fast forward a few years to 01 and the blood was in the water, we were on the decline. Recruiting was slipping, each team is less deep and talented than the year before.

Byrne peaces out in Dec. 2002 for A&M when we went 7-7. Then we got Pedey.. 9-3 and the infamous search. What a clown show.

You wanna know when you're gonna get fired at Nebraska? It happens about a couple months after an extension. Both Pedey and Callahan got extensions and we're fired within 3 months and 2 months of said extensions respectively.

Personally, I don't think you fire Frank in 2003. Not disagreeing with the other poster about 03 being a facade, or that barney was the answer, but that staff deserved a chance, and Pedey wasn't having it. We've been paying the price of these decisions for a long time.

 

[Cash68847]

I think the reality is that no coach would have been successful after TO. Frank or Alvarez or someone who would have gotten lots of leash probably had the best chance, but ain't no way the fun n gun DC is getting tons of leeway

Yea could you imagine if Stoops was hired considering the way we kicked his ass at k state and Florida? Husker fans would have lost their minds. It won’t be much different when Saban likely retires. Good luck to the next coach taking over. Atleast he will be paid millions before he gets fired.

 

[MtnHusker]

I knew coaches and players on those teams. I think Deangelo Evans said it best when asked to compare playing for Tom Osborne and Frank Solich. His answer was "Tom Osborne was playing Chess, and Frank Solich was playing Checkers". The coaches and players I knew would agree with that statement. Frank was a great RB Coach and solid recruiter but didn't even have Coordinator Experience let alone Head Coaching experience. At that point we were the Alabama of Football and could have had any coach replace Osborne. The most telling stat for me was a breakdown of Offensive Play Calling by Solich. Basically in games against ranked opponents he called the same 5 plays 84% of the time, and we had a much lower winning percentage. How hard would it be for Oklahoma or Texas to pick up on that and shut down our Offense? I don't remember that splits for games we won but they were far more balanced. T.O. was a gifted play caller, and Frank just didn't have that knack and by the time he made the switch it was too late. As a recruiting Beatnik I was worried how far our recruiting had slipped under Solich. WE had many coaches who weren't even out on the road recruiting. One head scratcher for me was I knew a Walk On player from Colorado and Frank flew out there to personally recruit him. Why waste that resource and time on a Walk On when our scholarship recruiting was suffering mightily.

And I will leave you with this thought, if Frank Solich was such a great head coach shouldn't he be dominating the lowly MAC Conference?