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ATHENS, Ohio — Ohio football head coach Tim Albin looked down at his hands while standing inside the tunnel at Peden Stadium. In a few minutes, he and his team would run out onto Frank Solich Field – or "The Frank" – for the first time in 2024.
He's done it a few hundred times in his 20 seasons at Ohio, but each time still feels like the first.
Albin's heart rate fluttered as he ran through his mental checklist. Did he remember his notes? Are the position coaches on the same page? The list goes on and on.
"I would think every coach probably does that. What did I forget? What might happen?" Albin said. "It's certainly easier at home because you have the backing of the fans, and the energy here makes it easier."
However, the second the cannon sounds and the Bobcats grace the field, all of the mental noise goes away. The crowd noise fills Albin's ears, almost like a dull buzz, as he locks in for the fight.
Making a Home
Albin didn't come to Ohio thinking he'd one day be head coach, let alone spend 20 years in green and white. He figured that after a few years, he'd end up somewhere new.
"In this profession, it's so rare to stay still. It's volatile, how people move around. I just assumed that's that's what would happen." Tim Albin said
In the summer of 2005, he was hired alongside Jimmy Burrow to fill the offensive and defensive coordinator vacancies on new head coach Frank Solich's staff. The pair were currently in those roles at North Dakota State, and had previously served as graduate assistants and later position coaches on Solich's Nebraska squad.
The 2005 Ohio football staff poses for a group shot on media day.
When it came time to hire his Bobcats, Solich immediately thought of Albin for the offensive job. The bright coach who'd regularly drive from Alva, Oklahoma, to Lincoln, Nebraska – six hours one way – just to learn from the Cornhuskers was ready for the responsibility.
"I got to know him [Tim] when I was at Nebraska, and he was visiting us. I knew he was a dedicated coach. I knew he was a smart coach, sitting in on the on the meetings. Getting a chance to visit with him during our practices, and all the time he spent up there with us, it became clear to me that that he knew football and knew it well. He got along with all the other coaches at Nebraska and so it just made sense for me to hire him, because I knew he was going to that he was a really a good coach," Solich said. "I knew he could be very good offensive coordinator at that point in time in his career, and as important as anything, he was a tremendously loyal coach," Solich said
When Albin and Burrow walked off their plane at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport, the only people they knew in Athens besides Solich was each other. They'd been dropped into unfamiliar territory and driven further south.
Their first year wasn't easy, but Solich encouraged his team and staff to believe. By the time the leaves on the Hocking River's trees turned brassy in 2005, life in Athens seemed like something to have faith in.
"We didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into at Ohio University. They were really down as far as the football program was concerned, but we knew that Coach always had a plan and and we trusted what he would tell us, that we could win there, and we trusted each other." said Burrow.
During that time, it helped Albin to be surrounded by his family – both football and blood. Even though he clocked long hours at Peden Stadium, he still made sure to attend his children's, Tori and Treyce, school functions. He also worked to learn the community and even fished out a few baseballs Burrow's son, Joe, hit into his backyard.
It was nice to have people to lean on, and now Albin is in the position to do that himself.
"When we have someone join [the staff], we really try to welcome them, because we were very lucky. It's hard. A lot of people come from a distance. Our family is all in Oklahoma, and we had small children when we came. We didn't know who could pick up our kids at school if we were busy and getting recommendations for different things, like dentists and doctors is hard. But we really try to make it a family environment. We try to be there for each other. We were lucky to have such a good group of people when our kids were young, and so we try to provide that for our staff," Brooke Albin said.
One of Albin's first acts as head coach was to start the annual Bobcat Kids Fishing Day, where he and Brooke take the coaching staff's kids for the day so the coaches can have a date with their spouse. It's a small gesture, but it's the Albin's way of returning the favors they've received over time.
Tim Albin and the staff's children at Larry's Dawg House after a day of fishing. (Provided by Brooke Albin)
Sometimes, Albin will even pop up at youth sporting events to support the staff.
Defensive line coach Tremayne Scott played for Ohio from 2009 to 2012 and worked as a graduate assistant for two seasons before returning to the staff as a full-time member in 2018. When he got back to Athens, Scott realized that Albin was committed on and off the field.
"He cares for my family. He understands the family piece of it," Scott said.
Ten-win Tim
The elevator dinged on the Peden Tower's fifth floor on a Tuesday afternoon. It was December 2011 and Taco Tuesday, a post-practice tradition Burrow started, was in full swing. Ohio had a few days left before the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and it was putting the final touches on the offense while crunching on Taco John's treats.
That season, Albin led the offensive scheme to the most prolific year in school history. Ohio set eight team single-season offensive records including most yards gained (6,241), most passing yards gained (3,482), most offensive plays (1,026), average yards per game (445.8), passing attempts (429), most points scored (427), most passing completions (276) and most passing yards per game (248.7).
Tim Albin with members of the Ohio football team before a game against Penn State in 2012. Ohio won the game 24-14.
However, there was one piece of history the Bobcats were still searching for. The program had yet to win a bowl game.
When a last-minute touchdown by Tyler Tettleton earned the MAC East champions a 24-23 victory at the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, there wasn't an Ohio fan sitting down. The program had just achieved its first ever bowl win and first 10-win season since 1968.
"The athletes that we had signed in those classes went on to be some great Bobcats. There's a couple already in the Hall of Fame here. Several will be in the Hall of Fame at some point in time," Albin said.
As offensive coordinator, Albin coached 10 NFL and five CFL athletes. Many of whom he recruited himself.
"He was great at recruiting with the work ethic that he had, and not only in working with recruits, but working with the parents of recruits. Tim would do a great job of making sure that they understood what our program was about: the philosophy, how we were developing the program, and our plans for the future of the program. As a part of recruiting, he was also great at identifying the right guys for the program that he knew would have the work ethic and skill level that we knew we could continue to develop to make into excellent players," Solich said.
Twelve years later, Albin found himself in the same spot preparing for his first bowl game as head coach.
Ohio was set to play in the 2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl after going on a seven-game win streak to clinch the MAC East title. The wound from losing the Mid-American Conference Championship to Toledo was still fresh, but the possibility of another 10 win season kept Ohio energized.
A familiar feeling washed over Albin as he watched Tyler Foster catch the game-winning touchdown in overtime. It felt like he was back at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, but this time he was the one receiving a shower from the team.
The Albin family poses for a photo after the 2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. (Provided by Brooke Albin)
He'd just become the second head coach in program history to earn Ohio a bowl victory in the first 10-win season since 2011.
"It was very gratifying to see that unfold, and the fashion that we did it in – we went for two after that first touchdown, and that point was huge in the game. It was back and forth, and for us to have the ball last and that great throwing catch to win the game in overtime," Albin said
A signed photo of Foster's catch hangs on the wall of Albin's office among other memorabilia, including a pillow of his dog, Macy, and a vast collection of mugs from beating Miami.
The following year, Albin won 10 more games and defended the newly-minted Frank Solich Field with pride. He also became Ohio's first head coach to notch back-to-back 10-win seasons and Ohio was crowned the first MAC team to win five consecutive bowl games since Marshall (1998-2002) after it won the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
"He's relentless in his pursuit of getting his team ready to play winning football. He's relentless in recruiting. He's relentless in fundraising and being a true representative of Ohio University. In order to be successful, you have to be relentless," Burrow said.
Tim Albin holds a piece of "The Frank" inside the locker room at FAU in 2023.
Crazy Times
Sundays are important days to Albin in general, but even more so in the fall. Once church is over, he trades his finer threads for athleisure and sets off for Peden Stadium. It's usually quiet when he gets there, but he doesn't mind. It gives him time to breathe.
Peden Tower's fifth floor quickly fills with chatter about that week's game as the coaching staff divides to develop game plans. The next day, it's the same thing — but at 7 a.m. — and at 7 p.m., Albin has to depart for the coaches show
It's a routine he's become fond of.
"There's some administrative things that I have to do that come up. I enjoy that because it gets me away from the football grind and I get my mind on something else," Albin said.
When Albin found out that he was next in line to become head coach of the Bobcats, he wasn't quite sure what to think. It meant that his dear friend and mentor, Solich, was stepping away.
"It meant a great deal to me to be able to pass that along to him because his loyalty was really special. I knew that he was the right guy for the program," Solich said.
Tim Albin and Frank Solich after the 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl. (Provided by Brooke Albin)
It also meant that he was going to be at the head of the table, and while he'd been in that position before, it had been a while. He wasn't used to calling all of the shots and the added responsibilities that came with the title.
"I learned that when you come into the office, they're all looking at you. You've got to inspire," Albin said.
Albin quickly thought of ways to do so. During the 2022 season, he noticed the team was quite interested in apparel, specifically socks. The height, color and brand of the Bobcats' socks seemed to leak into conversation often, so Albin decided he would wear fun socks every Thursday. They ranged in style, but the most extravagant ones came the Thursday before senior night. Albin taped a photo of each senior to his socks and wore them to practice.
This year, Thursdays are Kahoot days. The coaching staff comes up with a new quiz each week featuring things the team ought to know from personnel to fun facts. The winner of the Kahoot gets a small prize, such as a hot dog from Larry's Dawg House.
"He has that old-school kind of football tradition in his blood. As a coach,that means you can really be tough on the players and understand that there's discipline and toughness that has to be transformed into winning football teams. Yet, he's adapted to to being what I call players coach, because he relates really well with those guys. He knows when to create an atmosphere where they're having fun and and yet, after that's done, get back to hard work," Burrow said.
Little moments like those with the team are why Albin got into coaching in the first place. His original plan was to own a sporting goods store, but after his final game as a student-athlete at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Albin couldn't shake the idea of losing football.
He wanted the football atmosphere not only within the locker room, but in the community too. He believes in sports' bigger impact, and that's why he and Brooke started the Cats Feeding Dogs campaign. Each fall, the Albins chose a home game to cover admissions costs for those that bring donations for the Athens County Dog Shelter.
Hindsight is 20-20
On a gray Wednesday evening in September 2024, Albin stood inside Walter Fieldhouse with his eyes locked on practice in front of him. "Amarillo by Morning" by George Strait rang over the speakers as the Bobcats ran through plays and Albin twisted a whistle in his hands.
He brought the whistle to his lips to signify the end of practice and the Bobcats soon joined him on the 50 yard line. Albin reminded the team to attend their study hours, eat a good dinner and attend that week's homecoming events.
Once the team broke, Albin slowly walked away from the huddle, and took it all in.
Tim Albin smiles in the middle of a conversation
"For a long time, I was always in a hurry, and when you're young, that's natural thing. Then, it becomes natural to always be in a hurry. Now, I just try to take in– take in the days, and enjoy them without looking ahead. Enjoy being with them, being in the moment, and enjoy it how it is. Whatever the next thing is– big, win or tough– I just try to enjoy the present a little bit better." Albin said.
A lot has happened in 20 years. Albin's seen 13 bowls, five conference title games and over 500 student-athletes go through the program.
However, "He's still the same Tim," Scott said.
#OUOhYeah
