The Nebraska Cornhuskers fired head coach Frank Solich

ESPN.com news services
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nebraska Cornhuskers (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today; No. 25 AP) fired head coach Frank Solich on Saturday, ESPN's Trev Alberts has confirmed.


Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson met with Solich for five minutes on Saturday during which time the decision was made to end Solich's six-year tenure as Huskers head coach, the Omaha World Herald reports.


Assistant coach Marvin Sanders told the paper Solic called the staff after the meeting to say that his termination would begin immediately. The staff will coach the Huskers in their bowl game.


"Frank said (Pederson) shook his hand and said he wanted to go a different direction," Sanders said. "Frank asked about the assistant coaches, how the assistants were going to be taken care of, and Steve only said he wanted them to coach through the bowl game."


Nebraska finished the regular season with a 9-3 record, defeating Colorado 31-22 on Friday. The Huskers will likely be assigned to the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.


Sanders told the paper that he was shocked by the news Saturday, even though rumors about Solich's job status had been swirling throughout the week.


"I didn't know Steve's line of thinking, and I don't understand it still," Sanders said. "But whatever his agenda was, he had to go with it."


Neither Solich nor Pederson could immediately be reached Saturday night.


Sanders told the paper he was under the impression that Solich was given the option to resign, but that Solich refused to do so.


Solich, who took over for Tom Osborne after the 1997 national championship season, compiled a 58-19 record. But he took the Huskers to just one Big 12 championship game, and Nebraska was just 16-12 in his last 28 games

 

well holy shit!!!!

 

I can't help but think this had somethign to do with all the clamouring about the Huskers adding a passing game early in the season. They did throw more for a few weeks of the season, but became one dimensional when they realized that Lord is not much of a passer.
I just hope that program continues to crumble. I am so tired of gys getting fired after showing improvment, the Huskers deserve to lose...never liked the bastards anyway!

 

They still have a shot at a 10 win season. Stupid.

 

Crazy thing is I agree that it's a stupid thing to do. Solich may not have won a national championship in his time at Nebraska, but Nebraska was never a team to count out of the Big XII.

 

The reason he was fired is because they now ARE a team that can be counted out in the Big 12. They've been flat out waxed by the better Big 12 teams the last two years.

I agree it's silly. Spoiled fans run amok. But that's what happens when you think beating Mizzou and K State is a birthright.

 

There are a few UT boosters who are frankly openly cheering for Fulmer to lose because firing him would "save" the program from mediocrity. Huh? I think some people are just rich and bored. Go buy an airline or something. That'll keep you busy.