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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Welcome to the Carriker Chronicles,
00:10 the people show.
00:11 Checking the pulse of Husker Nation, ladies and gentlemen.
00:15 If you wanna show Coach Frank Solich some love
00:17 for going into the College Football Hall of Fame,
00:19 smash that like button.
00:21 But before I officially bring him on,
00:24 he is one of just seven Husker coaches
00:26 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
00:28 Nebraska features 27 other people that are in the hall.
00:31 This year's Hall of Fame class has 19 players
00:34 and three coaches that are going in.
00:36 Coach Solich played fullback for Bob Devaney in the '60s.
00:39 He was actually a member of Coach Devaney's
00:41 first recruiting class in 1962.
00:44 He earned all Big Eight honors in 1965
00:47 and was the first Husker to rush for 200 yards in a game.
00:50 Coach Solich coached 19 years as an assistant coach
00:54 and helped Nebraska win three national titles.
00:57 And during his 15-year tenure as a running back's coach,
01:00 he helped coach and produced 13 all-conference running backs,
01:03 including Heisman Trophy running back Mike Rozier.
01:06 In his six seasons as Nebraska's head coach,
01:08 he had a 753 winning percentage,
01:10 including the Huskers' last conference championship in 1999
01:14 and coaching Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch in 2001.
01:18 He also coached at Ohio for 16 years, 2005 to 2020,
01:22 and he currently sits as the winningest coach
01:26 in the Mid-American Conference history.
01:28 And, pretty cool side note,
01:31 the turf inside of Peden Stadium there at Ohio
01:33 is known as Frank Solich Field.
01:35 How you doing, Coach Solich?
01:37 - I'm good, Adam.
01:38 How are you doing?
01:39 - I'm doing good, and I appreciate you joining me.
01:43 So what was your reaction when you found out
01:46 that you're going into the College Football Hall of Fame
01:48 and what does that mean to you?
01:49 - I actually found out in a manner
01:52 that I guess I wasn't supposed to.
01:54 I started receiving some emails and texts
01:58 and a couple phone calls from people that said,
02:01 "Congratulations on being in the Hall of Fame
02:04 "and making it into the Hall of Fame."
02:07 And I said, "Well, that's kind of news to me."
02:10 (laughing)
02:12 That I'm in it, but you might know something that I don't,
02:16 but I guess we'll find out here.
02:20 And it wasn't too much later,
02:23 a truck pulls up outside that delivers,
02:28 I think it was a UPS truck maybe,
02:31 and it delivered a football with a letter
02:36 notifying me that I was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
02:40 So it was obviously great for me to hear that.
02:45 I feel very good about it.
02:49 So many people along the way help you out
02:53 when you get an award, something like this.
02:56 You just don't do it on your own.
02:58 And I've been fortunate to be around
03:01 a ton of really good coaches.
03:04 And then obviously, I got a chance to go to Nebraska,
03:09 play under Coach Devaney.
03:12 And so around nothing but great coaches
03:17 through my early career.
03:20 And that inspired me in a lot of different ways.
03:24 So I was very fortunate to be around those kind of people.
03:29 - So what was it like playing for Coach Devaney?
03:31 And what did you learn from him
03:33 that helped you in the future?
03:34 - Well, it was great playing for him.
03:38 He was a pretty relaxed guy.
03:40 He was driven to win, obviously,
03:43 like almost all coaches are.
03:47 But he really had a way of dealing with the players,
03:51 his players, talking to them, coaching them,
03:55 that just made you feel at ease.
03:58 And it got to the point where you really believed in the guy
04:01 and really enjoyed playing for him.
04:04 And so you got his best.
04:07 And so he was able to bring out the best in people.
04:11 And then obviously being around Tom as long as I was,
04:16 I was as a part-time coach,
04:20 and then as a assistant coach and running back coach,
04:25 and assistant head coach, and then eventually head coach.
04:29 But all that time around Tom was just,
04:33 I grew tenfold in terms of the coaching profession
04:38 and really understood what it was all about
04:44 from a lot of different angles.
04:45 And so around those kinds of people
04:48 just made everything a lot easier for me and really special.
04:53 They both had their way of reaching players
04:56 and getting things done on the field, in the room,
05:01 when you're preparing for games with your coaches,
05:03 how they dealt with coaches, how they dealt with players.
05:06 That part of it was somewhat similar.
05:12 But obviously their style of coaching,
05:15 and to a degree was different.
05:18 But great guys to be under one playing and one coaching.
05:23 I couldn't ask for anything more.
05:26 Of course, as you know, both of them
05:28 are in the Hall of Fame.
05:30 - What did it mean for you?
05:32 Because right before he retired,
05:34 Coach Osborne chose you as his successor.
05:37 What did that mean for you?
05:38 - It means a great deal.
05:40 Obviously, in him telling me that,
05:45 that it was gonna move forward
05:49 with me being the next head coach after him,
05:52 it was a little bit of a surprise and shock
05:56 at that point in time.
05:59 I just felt like Tom would maybe go forever.
06:02 I never looked at Tom as a guy that was worried
06:07 about the amount of work he has to put in
06:10 and all that that goes into coaching.
06:12 He just seemed to handle that really well.
06:15 And so I thought he'd just keep going.
06:17 And then when he did tell me,
06:20 it was a little bit of a surprise,
06:22 but the way he had moved me up to assistant head coach,
06:27 certainly let me know that in some respects
06:31 that he felt good about me
06:34 and that maybe down the road there'd be that opportunity.
06:39 I got a little nervous when I actually found out
06:44 that the whole thing was gonna come off.
06:46 Number one, it was a program that's known
06:51 around the country as one of the top in the country.
06:55 And you're running one of the better programs
06:58 in the country.
07:00 And obviously you're following Bob Devaney,
07:05 who Tom followed.
07:08 And then I followed Tom.
07:12 Those are two great coaches that,
07:17 it's pretty hard to follow.
07:18 And so what I decided to do is just to be the guy that I am,
07:27 to take away from what I know about those guys
07:31 and what made those guys great,
07:33 but then to also to be myself.
07:37 I can't be a Tom Osborne.
07:38 In fact, I don't think there's another Tom Osborne out there
07:41 to be very careful with.
07:43 And I couldn't be a Bob Devaney,
07:46 but I could certainly take things from him.
07:49 I learned from him, try to compile all that
07:53 and be the best coach I could be.
07:54 - So in 1999, okay, when you were the coach there,
07:58 and I always have one hard hitting question every interview.
08:00 This is a hard hitting question for this interview, all right?
08:03 So 1999, you guys finished ranked second
08:06 in the coaches poll after beating Texas 22 to six
08:09 in the Big 12 Championship game
08:11 and beating at that time,
08:12 defending national champ Tennessee,
08:14 who was number six in the country
08:16 in the Fiesta Bowl 31-21.
08:18 Had you guys had an opportunity
08:19 to play number one Florida State instead of Virginia Tech,
08:22 who ended up losing by 17 points in the national title game?
08:26 How do you think that game might've gone, coach?
08:28 - Well, I'd like to think it had been a great game.
08:32 Both teams were really highly talented football teams.
08:39 And we had great coaches on our staff.
08:45 Certainly they had great coaches,
08:48 great fan support from both teams.
08:53 So it would have been an exciting,
08:55 I think very interesting football game.
08:59 - All right, so you're the man who recruited me
09:01 and the man I committed to play for.
09:03 Unfortunately, we weren't together as long
09:05 as I would have liked.
09:06 But my question is, do you have any memories of yours,
09:10 truly, from the short time that we did have together?
09:12 - From the recruitment aspect of it
09:15 and the short time that we were together,
09:18 it did not surprise me that you were turning out
09:21 to be the player that I felt you would be.
09:26 Getting to know you, it became obvious
09:29 that you had great character,
09:31 and that you were driven to be as good as you could become.
09:37 And with that in mind, you certainly had the tools
09:42 to be an outstanding athlete.
09:45 So you add all that together,
09:48 and you got yourself what you want in a recruit.
09:53 When you're in the recruiting process,
09:55 as to what kind of leader a guy would be,
09:57 felt you'd be a very good leader.
10:00 But as it turned out, you were an exceptional leader.
10:03 And so that all came together
10:06 to make you a great Nebraska football player
10:11 and one that was truly deserving
10:13 of all your accomplishments.
10:15 - Well, I appreciate your kind words.
10:17 And here's a story, I don't know,
10:19 I don't think I've ever shared this publicly.
10:22 So I'm actually married to former defensive end,
10:26 Jeff McBride, he was a walk-on from Brule, Nebraska.
10:29 And so when they found out I was gonna interview you,
10:31 and they had mentioned this to me before,
10:34 so let's go back in time
10:35 to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in 2001.
10:38 Jeff's a freshman, okay, and he's having surgery, all right.
10:43 And his mom and dad, Joe and Sheila,
10:47 said that after practice late that Wednesday,
10:49 getting ready for a big game at Colorado,
10:52 you showed up at the hospital,
10:55 and you waited for over an hour
10:57 while they finished the surgery.
10:59 And to this day, they were just flabbergasted
11:02 that the head coach of Nebraska would show up
11:05 for over an hour in the middle of the week
11:07 getting ready for a big game
11:09 for a freshman walk-on who was having surgery.
11:11 And so I thought that that was a story
11:13 that I just shared that the fine folks at home might enjoy.
11:16 - You know what, it was very simple for me to do that.
11:21 That's what Bob Devaney would have done,
11:24 that's what Tom Osmond would have done.
11:26 And so just growing up in the business with those guys,
11:31 it was just natural for me to follow in their footsteps
11:36 in that manner.
11:37 You're gonna try to be the best that you can be
11:41 in terms of things outside of football
11:44 and on the football field.
11:47 So that was easy to do,
11:49 'cause that's what the coaches that I've seen,
11:52 that I was with in Bob and Tom,
11:57 that's definitely what they would have done.
12:00 And so it just seemed,
12:03 it was just basically natural for me
12:06 to care for a player and to do those kind of things.
12:10 - Well, here's the deal, it's 22 years later
12:12 and it still resonates with them for sure.
12:16 All right, so I got a couple of questions left.
12:18 Before we dive into that,
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12:43 All right, last couple of questions.
12:44 You were brought back and honored
12:47 at the spring game last spring.
12:49 What were the feelings and emotions you had last spring
12:51 when you were honored at halftime during the spring game
12:54 and what did that mean to you?
12:55 - Yeah, that was the first time I'd been back,
12:59 not only on the field,
13:02 but in the office area, in the stadium.
13:07 And so it was just great to be back.
13:10 Glad to be there.
13:11 Matt did a great job of making me feel comfortable
13:16 and feel good about coming back.
13:20 It wasn't a deal where I held any grudges
13:24 or we're in a game that things can happen
13:30 and they're not all gonna be good.
13:32 And you gotta be willing to fight through 'em
13:36 and bounce back 'cause that's what you ask of your players.
13:39 And so that was easy for me to,
13:44 I say this in a way that may sound strange to you,
13:48 but easy for me to move on in the business.
13:53 Because number one, I knew I was a good coach.
13:59 And so what was transpiring was not necessarily my problem.
14:04 And so I was looking forward to continuing in business
14:09 and fortunately got a chance to get to Ohio University
14:15 and I loved it there.
14:18 Just as I loved it at Nebraska.
14:21 Those kids wanted to win every bit as badly
14:23 as the guys from Nebraska.
14:24 So I had a great time.
14:27 And enjoyed it.
14:30 I'm glad I did.
14:31 I'm glad I came back.
14:33 Again, I felt very welcome from the coaches,
14:37 administrative people to the fans.
14:43 - We were glad to have you back.
14:44 I just got one last question for you.
14:47 What are your impressions of Coach Rule so far
14:50 and what are your thoughts on the future
14:52 of Nebraska football as they head into
14:54 the new Big Ten, so to speak?
14:56 - I really like Coach Rule.
14:58 I think he's doing things the right way, the best way.
15:03 Let me put it that way.
15:04 Maybe the best way for Nebraska to move forward.
15:08 He got there and he contacted Coach Osborne.
15:11 He wanted to make sure he picked his mind a little bit
15:15 and he found out what Tom was all about
15:17 and why he was so successful.
15:20 So he wasn't afraid to go to Tom
15:24 and ask him some questions.
15:27 He contacted, he did contact me.
15:30 We had a few good texts, a few good talks.
15:34 I knew him a little bit because when I was at Ohio,
15:39 we coached against him.
15:43 And so through watching film,
15:45 I knew technically he was a very sound coach.
15:49 But the more you are around him,
15:53 the more you get to know him,
15:54 the more you understand what he's all about.
15:58 He's great for the sport.
16:00 I think kids will love playing for him.
16:02 I think there's great success ahead for Nebraska now.
16:07 It doesn't come instantly, necessarily.
16:11 It could come quick, but it doesn't necessarily come quick.
16:15 It doesn't necessarily come easily,
16:17 but it will come under him.
16:19 I truly believe that.
16:21 - All right, I want to thank Coach Solich for his time,
16:23 for joining me.
16:25 And ladies and gentlemen,
16:26 I just put out an interview with Danny Woodhead,
16:29 who also is going into the College Football
16:31 Hall of Fame last Friday.
16:32 Go check that out if you missed it.
16:34 There's going to be more interviews, gut reactions.
16:37 It's the most interesting, intriguing off-season
16:40 of college football I've seen in quite a while.
16:42 So a lot of content coming your way here
16:44 in the next few months.
16:45 Hit the subscribe button if you're interested.
16:48 You can also, if you have nothing better to do
16:49 with your life, check me out on Facebook and Twitter,
16:52 #cheapplug.
16:54 Questions for you fine folks at home,
16:55 let me know your thoughts, comments, and responses.
16:58 All right, first question, let me know in the comments
17:00 below your favorite memory of Coach Solich.
17:03 Number two, would Nebraska have beaten Florida State
17:07 if they'd had a chance to play him in 1999?
17:10 And number three, do you agree with Coach Solich
17:13 that Nebraska will be successful in the new Big Ten?
17:16 And those last couple questions,
17:18 you can just simply say yes or no.
17:20 All right, thanks again Coach Solich,
17:21 and until next time, Husker Nation,
17:23 go Big Red, and always remember to throw the bones.
17:26 (sighs)