Trying to purge the curse!:
Frank Solich is coming back to Memorial Stadium.
The former Nebraska football coach, controversially fired almost 20 years ago, will be honored at the April 22 spring game, NU Athletic Director Trev Alberts announced on his monthly "Sports Nightly" radio program.
“We’re going to have an opportunity to honor Frank and his family,” Alberts said, adding that there will be another announcement during the spring game related to Solich. “…We’ve been working on this while, but I think it’s time, and I’m really looking forward to thanking him for everything he’s done as a player, as a coach and also honor him for what he did after left here.”
Alberts said NU put “a lot of work” into getting Solich back to campus. The 78-year-old former coach, who won 173 games at the collegiate level, was reluctant to be honored, Alberts said, because Solich didn’t want to be specifically singled out for an honor.
“It finally dawned on me,” Alberts said. “I said, ‘you know, Frank, what if I told it’s not about you? What if I told you it’s about the fans – and our fans want to?’ And that gave him pause.”
Nebraska football had “fragmentation in so many areas” in the decade-plus since Solich was fired, Alberts said, so the aim to get Solich back to the stadium was rooted in “unified purpose.”
“We’re a small population state,” Alberts said. “The only chance we have is to have unity.”
New coach Matt Rhule, Alberts said, has done a “great job” of engaging former players and coach Tom Osborne in his short time at NU. Alberts said Nebraska is “committed” to making the weekend “extraordinarily special.”
Alberts wants Memorial Stadium sold out for the game. So far, 52,000 tickets have been sold.
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Frank Solich is coming back to Memorial Stadium.
The former Nebraska football coach, controversially fired almost 20 years ago, will be honored at the April 22 spring game, NU Athletic Director Trev Alberts announced on his monthly "Sports Nightly" radio program.
“We’re going to have an opportunity to honor Frank and his family,” Alberts said, adding that there will be another announcement during the spring game related to Solich. “…We’ve been working on this while, but I think it’s time, and I’m really looking forward to thanking him for everything he’s done as a player, as a coach and also honor him for what he did after left here.”
Alberts said NU put “a lot of work” into getting Solich back to campus. The 78-year-old former coach, who won 173 games at the collegiate level, was reluctant to be honored, Alberts said, because Solich didn’t want to be specifically singled out for an honor.
“It finally dawned on me,” Alberts said. “I said, ‘you know, Frank, what if I told it’s not about you? What if I told you it’s about the fans – and our fans want to?’ And that gave him pause.”
Nebraska football had “fragmentation in so many areas” in the decade-plus since Solich was fired, Alberts said, so the aim to get Solich back to the stadium was rooted in “unified purpose.”
“We’re a small population state,” Alberts said. “The only chance we have is to have unity.”
New coach Matt Rhule, Alberts said, has done a “great job” of engaging former players and coach Tom Osborne in his short time at NU. Alberts said Nebraska is “committed” to making the weekend “extraordinarily special.”
Alberts wants Memorial Stadium sold out for the game. So far, 52,000 tickets have been sold.
Frank Solich set to return to Memorial Stadium for Nebraska spring game
Former Nebraska coach Frank Solich will return for the Huskers' April 22 spring game to be honored, NU Athletic Director Trev Alberts announced Wednesday night.
