Frank Solich took long road through Ohio to record
ATHENS, Ohio Longtime Ohio coach Frank Solich surveyed the locker room momentsafter Tuesday's 66-24 victory against Bowling Green. Solich had just become the Mid-American Conference's all-time wins leader with his 111th victory with the Bobcats, and in that moment the 75 year old thought about everyone else."The thought that went through my head was how fortunate I've been to be able to work with so many great
Jaden Schwartz Jersey players, so many guys who were dedicated to winning and moving this program forward, and the same with our coaches," Solich told Sporting News on Wednesday. "That's the thing that popped up at me."Solich molded those players and coaches with a toughne s that defined him as afullback, a sistantcoach and head coach at Nebraska. That "tough" label still sticks with "Fearle s Frank," and it's what helped make po sible the long-term projectat Ohio.CFB 150: "Toughne s is one of the very first things we look for when we are recruiting, and so when other coaches mention something about that, thats great to hear," he said. "It kind of reinforces that we are always on the right track."Solichtook over at Ohio in 2005and has put together a 111-81 record. He has led the Bobcats to 10 winning seasons. A win in the regular-season finale at Akron on Nov. 26 would make Ohio eligible for an 11th bowl appearance.It's a remarkable display of stability in a volatile profe sion, and Solich cultivated that approach withhis first two Nebraska high school coaching jobs at Omaha Holy Name (1966-67) and Lincoln Southeast (1968-78). Hesimply adapts with the scenery around him."When I took the job over here, and no matter which I job I took of the four, I never looked down the road and said,'Hey, this is where I want to be. This is where I want to go down the road,'" Solich said. "I just show up and do the best job I can."With Tuesday's victory, Solich pa sed former Central Michigan coach Herb Deromedi,who had a 110-55-1 with the Chippewas from 1978-94. Deromedi knew that day was coming, and hemade the drive from Mount Pleasant, Mich., to Detroit on July 23 to congratulate Solich in advance at MAC Media Day.
Madison Bowey Jersey "I have nothing but respect for him,"Deromedi told SN."I knew of him when he played for Nebraska as a 165-pound fullback and admired the way he played the game. He was tough. Then, I followed him when he was a coach at Nebraska." Everybody did after watching him serve as an a sistant at Nebraska from 1979-93. He took over for legendary coach Tom Osborne in 1998, compiled a 58-19 record, led the Cornhuskers to a BCS national championship game in 2001 and was fired after a 9-3 season in 2003.To this day, Solich still has a legion of fans among Huskers faithful."That's a really great thing," Solich said. "I was fortunate there to obviously be involved in a program that was run by Tom Osborne and played under Bob Devaney. That was in my blood, obviously, and to be able to coach under Tom and get the head job was tremendous. I had a lot of great moments from those times and still have a lot of great friends from Nebraska."That is a part of Solich's story, but the stint at Ohio has come to define the elder statesman among FBS coaches. He is the longest-tenured Group
JT Miller Jersey of 5 coach. Only Iowa's Kirk Ferentz (1999) and TCU's Gary Patterson (2001) have been at theircurrentschools longer.In thatsense, Solich is one of the bestGroup of 5hires of all time considering the stability he brought to a program that had caught only fleeting glimpses of succe s.MORE: Ohio won its last MAC championship with a 10-1 season in 1968. Several lean years followed.The Bobcats had only two seasons with at least seven wins both under Jim Grobe before he left for Wake Forest after the 2000 season.Grobe continuesto watch the Bobcats under Solich and remains impre sed with the consistency."It says a lot for the coach, and it says a lot for Ohio University," Grobe told SN. "They knew they had the right guy, and they stayed with him. To me, that's really, really refreshing. So many times, you have people who get tired of the coach. In this case, it was just a great match."It took two games for that matchto materializeinto something special. In a Friday night ESPN game on Sept. 9, 2005, Ohio upset Pitt 16-10 in overtime at Peden Stadium on a walkoff interception return for a touchdown by Dion Byrum for Solich's first victory."It's pretty cool it's an awesome feeling and experience,"Byrum told SN."I never thought it would resonate as big or play a role in a special play in Ohio football history."Even in that moment, however, Solich was thinking of others. That's what
Justin Faulk Jersey he remembers from that game. He was thinking of building something that would last more than that one night."Part of me loves taking over a program that needs to be restructured and rebuilt," Solich said. "One of the best things that a player has ever said to me was actually Dion Byrum when he said,'Thanks, coach, for helping us feel like we are a Division I program.'That meant the world to me."That victory against Pitt stillresonates in Athens, and the program remains stable even in tough seasons. Solich lauded this year's team for fighting through the struggles of a 5-6 year after being preseaon favorites to win the MAC, and that another quality Deromedi and Grobe appreciate more than most."It's really been his leadership and the quality of terms he's produced here,"Deromedi said."It's an easy thing to admire. At some point it was going to be broken. You couldn't have it be broken by a better person than Frank.""He's always been regarded as one of the better football coaches in the country," Grobe added. "What he's done at Ohio has been remarkable.""Fearle s Frank"has become to be known as"Agele s Frank,"but the only question now is how long his run will continue.Solich, whose contract is up on Jan. 3, hopes to return to Ohio for a 16th season in 2020.He is still hoping to lead the program to its first MAC championship since 1968.He also can pa s Don Peden, who compiled 121 wins at Ohio before the school joined the MAC.There is always another moment to chase, and Solich will do thatas long asit benefits everyone else."There's no immediate plan that is there to retire," Solich said. "I feel like I'm still relating to the players. I think they still feel good about me being head of the program. The administration does.As long asI feel like I can contribute to our athletes and to our program and my health is good and my energy is good they've all got to be there.I'll just kind of take it a little bit at a time
Miles Wood Jersey and keep moving forward."