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Topic: Here' to Frank Solich!

Topic: Here' to Frank Solich!

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Football Jim
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Member Since: 1/16/2005
Post Count: 177

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Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 1:25:46 AM

Congratulations or win 100.
It has been an interesting journey watching the Ohio Bobcats improve each year.
Love it!

Hanging in there!

GO BOBCATS!

oucs 1986
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Mason, OH
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 7:58:57 AM

Go Bobcats!

BobcatGman
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Member Since: 7/7/2010
Location: Albany, OH
Post Count: 252

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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 9:01:24 AM

Here's to a 100 more !

------------------------------------------------

Dennis "Gman"

Pataskala
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 9:52:33 AM

BobcatGman wrote:

Here's to a 100 more !

------------------------------------------------

Dennis "Gman"

All with OU, I hope.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

AintBeenGood
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Ohio
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 2:31:27 PM

Congrats coach!

Monroe Slavin
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Location: Oxnard, CA
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 3:14:24 PM

Thank goodness for the crash and loss of old posts--I think I posted something doubtful when Coach was first hired. He's doing a great job of bringing in guys who will stick with our program and building depth (so many guys playing and not much drop off in quality). GOTFRANK.

Where's the band?!
WHERE"S THE BAND?!

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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 4:41:52 PM

Ohio was fortunate to get him and it's fortunate to have him. It's a unique situation that I don't think would've ever presented itself again. A universally-respected coach who because of his age and an off-the-field lapse wasn't looking to move up. It allowed him to build a program without much support but also without much attention upon the effort. That meant no shortcuts to winning and no pressure to win or else. Compared to Knorr's years and even the historical ineptitude of the program aside from Grobe's stay, Ohio fans took seven wins with a grin.

It's scary to think that in 2004, Ohio and Eastern MIchigan were essentially in the same position as a program. Without Solich, we could very well be following a program on that same path to oblivion.

The long-term future of mid-major football programs is anything but clear in the age of power conference consolidation and ledgers blood-red, but Ohio could be in an even worse spot without Solich.

Last Edited: 9/11/2011 4:45:20 PM by Brian Smith (No, not that one)

OhioCatFan
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 4:52:27 PM

Yes, congratulations to Frank!

Brain, what off-the-field problem are you talking about? Frank was fired at Nebraska solely because 9-3 in the regular season wasn't good enough -- and the stupid AD there thought he'd transform Big Red football into a West Coast offense, or some such. Frank had The Incident here in Athens, but I'm not aware of anything similar in his days at Nebraska.

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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 4:54:29 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

Yes, congratulations to Frank!

I'm speaking of the DUI in Athens. I think if there was any question of him jumping ship early, that halted them.

Pataskala
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 5:07:22 PM

Definitely. I remember when I moved back to Ohio in 1996, I was ecstatic when Grobe brought the team up to 6-6, and with only four home games; the OOC games were at Hawaii (W), at Army (late loss due in large part to jet lag from the week before), at Northwestern (L) and at East Carolina (close loss in a shootout). They went 5-3 in the MAC.. Over the previous 15 years OU had become the doormat of the MAC, but you could really feel it turning around. After Grobe left and the Knorr years turned into a disaster, you could almost see "Welcome" on the players' backs again. But I've never seen such electricity surrounding the program as when Coach Solich was hired. "Doormat" is not in anyone's vocabulary regarding the OU football program anymore; instead, there's an awful lot of respect for the program. I think he is a good fit for OU and OU is a good fit for him.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

OhioCatFan
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Location: Athens, OH
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/11/2011 5:30:33 PM

My impression is that Frank could probably move on despite The Incident, but I don't think he really wants to. When I talk with him I really get the impression that he has immensely enjoyed building the program to where it is today and that he'll be happy retiring here when he either gets tired of coaching or feels he's losing his touch. I hope that's a long time from now!

Bobcatbob
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Member Since: 12/21/2004
Location: Coolville, OH
Post Count: 1,347

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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/12/2011 8:25:02 AM

Build it he has! Congratulations, Coach.

L.C.
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Member Since: 8/31/2005
Location: United States
Post Count: 10,497

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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/12/2011 11:00:04 AM

OhioCatFan wrote:

I don't think the incident would have much impact on anyone looking to hire him as a coach. It would come up, of course, but not prevent the hire since it was a single incident, and now years back into his history. The real factor that makes it unlikely that he moves is probably his age. Building a program takes a lot of energy and commitment, and a lot of years. Think about Ohio. There was no magic wand waved in 2005, though the Pitt game was a magical moment. Even 2006 was not magic, it was merely a huge effort and hard work by an over-achieving bunch of players that really wanted it. Instead what you've seen is a few high points (like the 2006 season) and a few lows (like the 2008 season) superimposed on a generally rising trend. Now, seven years later, Ohio has a solid and respected program, and lows will be higher lows, and highs will be higher highs (and I still think 2011 will be one of those higher highs).

If some other AD came in and hired Solich, would Solich want to put in another seven years at this point, building something else from scratch? I'm guessing here, but I have to think Solich would be proud of what he has accomplished at Ohio, and would be content to someday retire, leaving his accomplishments at Ohio as what he is known for.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

Gallia Cat
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/12/2011 11:53:12 AM

I was not a huge fan of Solich being hired. I felt like Ohio was hiring a falling star instead of a rising star. I was wrong! Frank has been a terrific hire and combined consistent improvement with stability and success. It takes a long time to turn around a program that was as low as ohio's. It started with Jim Grobe, detailed under Knorr but once again placed on the correct path with Solich. My hope is that coach stays put and plays a role in grooming his replacement when that time (hopefully severa yearsl out) comes. Congratulations Coach.

Last Edited: 9/12/2011 11:56:21 AM by Gallia Cat

Bobcat36
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Member Since: 1/5/2005
Location: Delaware, OH
Post Count: 1,167

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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/12/2011 12:20:31 PM

I've said it many times...That fateful day in Dec of 2004 was the spark of great things to come. Was it the perfect storm? Yeah but as everyone knows, luck plays into just about every huge success story. What Coach and his staff have accomplished in Athens is nothing short of remarkable.

His staff choices are just as important as his direct impact on the program. You can tell that they cultivate a family environment for the kids and that's huge. He's managed to minimize staff turnover as well which is not an easy thing to do at this level. It's going to get more and more challenging from that perspective as the wins pile up but I have every confidence in his talent assessments. Things like the IPF or "Relentless" were NEVER even a consideration before his arrival.

I'd like to see another extension in the works quickly so we're assured he's going to retire a Bobcat...Like some have posted above, I think he'll do an outstanding job identifying a long term replacement and handing over the reins in the right way (reference Wisconsin's recent transition). Great days ahead...

Congratulations Coach! And thank you (from the bottom of my Green blood pumping heart) for choosing Ohio as your project!!!

Last Edited: 9/12/2011 2:42:03 PM by Bobcat36

GoBobcats!!!! Always have been and always will be... Ohio's First and Finest!

TWT
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
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RE: Here' to Frank Solich!

Posted: 9/12/2011 6:53:03 PM

L.C. wrote:

OhioCatFan wrote:

Solich is also being compensated well by the university. His pay has doubled since he's been in Athens and made about 500,000 last year. A lower tier BCS job starts at about 1 million. Frank has two more years under contract with the university and is in a great bargaining position for more money with a good 2011. I could see Frank pushed up with a new contract with a base salary of over 700,000. He's getting to the point where what he's making takes him off the market for any job that would be interested. Also on the age thing, Solich just turned 67 on 9/8. Again here, Frank is about 15 years past his prime. His age would be OK as an experienced HC in the NFL to make a last jump somewhere but in CFB the standard hiring age range is 38 to about 52. I would say 60 years is about the max. That was the age of Spurrier joining up with South Carolina and the age of Frank when he started with Ohio. Dennis Franchione has washed up at Texas State at age 60. Howard Schnellenberger resurfaced at 65 at Florida Atlantic. Frank had issues finding another job because of his age when he was 60. Some thought Frank was too old to be a new HC at 53 with Nebraska. Frank is not going anywhere at this point but he is far too young to retire. Think about it, a guy like Frank may live to be 97 years old. He loves football too much to give it up. I would not be shocked to see him coach another 10 years at Ohio to give him another 6-7 million dollars in earnings before he retires. Or maybe he'll make it a goal to finish his career with 20 years as a D1 head coach, 14 of them at Ohio. He might finish with 100 wins at Ohio before its all said and done.

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