LINCOLN, Neb. — Now that he’s lifted his self-imposed exile from Memorial Stadium, former Nebraska coach Frank Solich said he hopes to visit regularly.
“Maybe come to some games,” Solich said Friday at his longtime place of work, one day before he’s set to be honored before a crowd of more than 60,000 at the Huskers’ Red-White game. “I really want to follow them and root for them.”
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Solich, 78, was fired in 2003 after he posted a 58-19 record over six seasons as the successor to three-time national champion coach Tom Osborne. Solich coached at Ohio for 16 seasons, retiring in 2021 as the Mid-American Conference all-time leader in coaching wins.
He has not seen a Nebraska game in person since he left nearly 20 years ago.
“I was, in some ways, only hurting myself by staying away,” he said, “so I’m glad to be back.”
He was a player here.
He was a coach here.
He was a Husker here.
Frank Solich, back in Memorial this Saturday. #GBR pic.twitter.com/EVJcTKp1pE
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) April 21, 2023
Athletic director Trev Alberts, an All-American linebacker under Osborne during Solich’s 19-year run as a Nebraska assistant coach, invited Solich to visit Lincoln several times before he accepted.
“He was relentless,” Solich said of Alberts. “He kept after it. It makes a lot of sense to be back. I’ve spent a lot of time on that field out there.”
A Pennsylvania native, the diminutive Solich played fullback for Bob Devaney at Nebraska. His daughter, Cindy, still lives in Lincoln. Solich and his wife, Pam, moved to Boise, Idaho, after his retirement to live near their son, Jeff.
Solich said he appreciated hearing from Matt Rhule shortly after the first-year Nebraska coach was hired by Alberts in November.
“That wasn’t happening before,” Solich said. “I just felt welcome in that manner.”
Rhule and Solich crossed paths in the MAC when Rhule coached at Temple. They’ve communicated multiple times in recent months and have talked in person during this Solich visit to Nebraska.
Solich planned to attend an event Friday night with many of his former players. He’s also heard on this trip from players that he coached at Lincoln Southeast High School and at Omaha’s Holy Name before he was hired by Osborne in 1979.
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Even as he stayed away from Memorial Stadium, Solich said he still pulled for Nebraska and watched games when he could find the time.
“It was tough to see what had transpired in terms of wins or losses as things unfolded over the years,” he said.
Nebraska has endured six consecutive losing seasons as Rhule prepares for his first year in command.
Lore in Nebraska references a curse placed on the program by the Solich family at the time of his unceremonious exit. Former AD Steve Pederson fired Solich after his Huskers won at Colorado in 2003 to complete a 9-3 regular season.
“There’s not a curse that’s been put on (Nebraska) by any of my family members,” Solich said. “That I know, or else there’d be a few more people in trouble. We’ve got nothing to do with curses. If there’s a curse, it’s not because of us.
Let’s just say it’s gone now if there has ever been one.”
(Photo of Eric Crouch with Frank Solich: Brian Bahr / Allsport)
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