Solich Named to 2024 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class
1/8/2024 11:35:00 AM | Football
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IRVING, Texas– Former head football coach Frank Solich was named to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class, as announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame today (Jan. 8). Solich represented both Nebraska and Ohio on the ballot, earning a dual nomination after his long, successful career. The official induction ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 10 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"While he is the winningest football coach in MAC history, Coach Solich's legacy extends beyond his competitive success here at Ohio," said Director of Athletics Julie Cromer. "Frank completely reinvigorated our football program and his dedication to his athletes and assistant coaches continues to live on in our program to this day. We congratulate Coach Solich and his family and we are excited to celebrate his career along with the other 2024 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductees."
Solich was part of the Nebraska coaching staff for 25 years, including six seasons as the head coach of the Cornhuskers. He guided Nebraska to at least nine wins in five of his six seasons, including a 12-1 record, Big 12 Championship and No. 2 final ranking in 1999, and an 11-2 record and an appearance in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl in 2001.Â
In six seasons, Solich led Nebraska to a 58-19 record (.753 winning percentage), and the Huskers finished in the top 10 nationally three times. Â
The 2001 Huskers featured the nation's top player as Eric Crouch won the Heisman Trophy. A four-year starter, Crouch also won the Walter Camp National Player of the Year and Davey O'Brien Awards.Â
In addition to his work as a head coach, Solich was regarded as one of the nation's premier assistants for his work on Tom Osborne's coaching staff. The 1993 National Assistant Coach of the Year by Athlon Magazine, Solich was the assistant head coach and running backs coach on national championship teams in 1994, 1995 and 1997, before taking over for Osborne following the 1997 season.Â
Solich recruited and coached a Heisman Trophy winner (Mike Rozier) during his time as a Husker assistant, and Nebraska led the nation in rushing in nine of his 15 seasons as running backs coach.    Â
Solich started his Ohio legacy with a bang, securing his first home victory in his debut at Peden Stadium against Pitt. Dion Byrum returned two interceptions for touchdowns to win the game; the first tied the Bobcats and Panthers, 7-7, in the first quarter. With seconds left in the game, a Pitt field goal tied the game again, but Byrum's 85-yard overtime interception return secured the 16-10 victory.
After serving as head coach from 2005-21, Solich earned the title of Winningest Coach in the Mid-American Conference with a 115-82 overall record. In the Ohio history books, his 115 wins make him second only to Don Peden, who coached the Bobcats to 121 wins (1924-46). Solich's 77 conference wins rank him second to former Central Michigan head coach Herb Deromedi, who recorded 90 MAC wins, while his 16 years of service matches Deromedi's (1978-93) for the most in MAC history.
Under Solich's guidance, the Bobcats saw 12 consecutive non-losing seasons, including six years with at least nine victories and highlighted by a 10-win campaign in 2011. Solich led Ohio to division titles in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2016, earning MAC Coach of the Year honors in 2016.
The 2012 Bobcats opened the season with a 24-14 victory at Penn State. After entering the third quarter trailing 14-3, two touchdowns in the third gave Ohio a three-point lead. They solidified their victory in the fourth with a 14-play, 93-yard drive, extending their lead over the Nittany Lions to 10 points.
Solich coached Ohio to 11 bowl appearances, securing the first five bowl victories in program history with back-to-back wins in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and '12 Independence Bowl and back-to-back-to-back victories in the 2017 Bahamas Bowl, '18 DXL Frisco Bowl and '20 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (2019 season).
For more information on the 2024 of Ohio football season, including a celebration of Coach Solich at Peden Stadium, visit https://ohiobobcats.com/sports/football or follow Ohio Football on X at @OhioFootball.
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