Osborne announces retirement
■ Assistant Head Coach Frank
Solich will replace the coach, who
said the stress of the position he
holds prompted him to step down.
By David Wilson
Senior Reporter
The final page of the most successful chapter
in Nebraska football history was turned
Wednesday.
Emotional and teary-eyed, Nebraska Coach
Tom Osborne announced his retirement after 25
years at the helm of the Cornhusker program.
Osborne. 60. addressed more than 200 media
members, players, supporters and family mem
bers at a 3 p.m. news conference in South
Stadium as well as a national ESPN and a
CNN SI audience.
As Osborne stepped aside. NU Athletic
Director Bill Byrne speaking via telephone
w here he was stranded at an airport commend
ed lnm before naming Assistant Head Coach
Frank Solicit as Osborne's successor.
“The culture that has been created at
Nebraska, in a large part, has to do with what
Tom Osborne has done,” Byrne said. "He has
done a remarkable job here. He is a great leader
of young minds and that's one of the main rea
sons vvhv 1 wanted to come to Nebraska. Tom
will be missed by all of Nebraska, particularly bv
our staff, coaches and athletes.”
One of six coaches ev er to reach the 250-vv in
plateau in Division 1 college football. Osborne
has compiled a 254-49-3 record along with two
national championships at Nebraska. His .833
u mmncT nerrentiurp rank< <prnnd in the nation
During the past five years. Osborne has
helped the Huskers to a 59-3 record and this sea
son’s 12-0 squad is in the hunt for another
national championship.
Osborne, who will remain Nebraska's head
coach through the Orange Bow 1 on Jan 2. said
retirement was something he had been seriously
considering recently. He said his health, family,
faith and the future of the program all played
roles in his decision to step dow n.
"The hours have been long,” Osborne said,
"but that’s what I have wanted to do. If you're
going to call the plays on Saturday ... there are no
short cuts.
"What I've come to realize over the last cou
ple three months, is that I was not going to be
able to sustain that pace for any length of time.”
Osborne said his plan w'as made final before
Tuesday's weekly press conference, but the said
he didn’t confirm the rumors because the coach
es and the players had not been told.
Leaving the players. Osborne said, would be
the hardest part Osborne met with the players at
2 p.m. one hour before he addressed the media.
Many players stood on tables and chairs in
the back of the room as Osborne made the
announcement.
Concentrating on his coaching. Osborne said
he missed out on spending time with his family.
But junior fullback Joel Makovicka noted
Osborne had focused his time on another family.
“He got a chance to watch 150 guys on this
team grow' up and the thousands that came
before us," Makovicka said. “He's been like a
father figure to all of us."
Senior tight end Vershan Jackson agreed.
“I love Coach Osborne just like I love my
father and my mother," Jackson said.
Though it will be tough to leave the players
behind, Osborne said he thought it was in
Matt Miller/DN
IN TYPICAL TOM OSBORNE fashion, the coach held back emotion during the Wednesday news conference.
✓ /_i ■ i
He got a chance to watch
150 guys on this team grow
up .... Hes been like a
father figure to all of us."
Joel Makovicka
Husker fullback
Nebraska's best interest for hint to step down at
this time to insure the program would be in good
hands.
An assistant under Osborne since 1979,
Solicit said he had been approached by Osborne
“some time ago'' concerning taking ov er the pro
gram.
It still came as a surprise, but Solicit said he
had known of Osborne's decision and had spoke
with Byrne before leaving on a recruiting trip
Sunday.
Solicit said he did not plan on making any
coaching changes and hoped Osborne would
stick around as long as possible.
“1 will not equal what he's done in 25 years,
but I'll do the best that 1 can each and every
game," Solicit said. "1 just hope that the effort 1
put forth will be enough to continue the success
this program has had.”
The assistant coaches, Osborne said, sup
ported the decision to name Solich as the suc
Please see OSBORNE on 7
Moeser, Byrne, regents
approve Solich’s position
By Antone Oseka
Senior Reporter
Stability, continuity and experience at
Nebraska were the three components offi
cials were looking for in Coach Tom
Osborne’s replacement.
Wednesday, that job was placed on the
shoulders of Frank Solich.
Solich, who played for Nebraska under
Coach Bob Devaney and has coached the
past 19 years under Osborne, said he does
n't have any major changes planned.
“1 don't know that you replace Tom
j Osborne as follow him,” Solich said.
Solich will follow the man who has
compiled a 254-49-3 record as head coach
for the past 25 years. Solich has been with
Osborne for the past 19 of them, working
with players such as Mike Rozier. Jarv is
Redwine, Tom Rathman, Roger Craig and
Lawrence Phillips.
Solich moves from the assistant head
coach and running backs coach spot to
replace the legendary Osborne after the
Orange Bow l against Tennessee.
Chancellor James Moeser and Athletic
Director Bill Byrne had approved Solich for
the job. At 3:25 p.m., Byrne announced
Solich as the new head coach by telephone
from Chicago.
“1 have named, with approval from the
chancellor and the regents, Frank Solich as
the new head coach,” Byrne said.
Several NU regents said, however, they
have yet to approve Solich for the position;
but they also said they would do so if asked.
As Solich took the podium from the 60
year-old Osborne, it seemed the finality of
Osborne's decision finally set in. Solich
graciously thanked the regents and chancel
lor for the opportunity to coach at Nebraska.
Osborne said he spoke with all of
Nebraska's assistant coaches Tuesday night,
and all of them expressed confidence that
Solich is the best man to replace Osborne.
“1 did not have any qualms about Frank
taking over,” Osborne said. “Frank will do a
very good job. ... That's why I wanted to do
it now.”
Solich, who has had offers from other
Please see SOLICH on 7
Ostforne.
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