I haven't seen anyone mention this yet or discuss the possibility, but I would think it's a pretty sure bet that Solich leaves Ohio U at the end of the season.
Surely rumors have been started already, no?
There will many vacancies open this year (as there are every year) and Solich has started a nice turnaround at Ohio. Surely, higher profile programs will pick him up.
It sucks, but it's a fact of life. No coach will stay in the MAC if he doesn't have to due in no small part to $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Ohio fans, your thoughts?
Solich comes with baggage, his indiscretions (and those of his team) and his scheme (which many erringly derride). That's going to limit the teams that might show interest.
Miami FL? Not a chance.
ASU? Not in the Pac 10 (although Koetter may keep his job)
N Carolina- Maybe
NCSU- Maybe
SMU- Maybe, given location, easy conference and bigger salary
Minnesota- I think Mason gets another year
Edit
Let me add Iowa State. Could Solich be tempted to return to his old conference, and perhaps reek some revenge against the team that snubbed him?
Highly unlikely. Solich has repeatedly said the Ohio job would be his last, and that he is looking to retire there. He is fiercly loyal, and doesn't let money dominate his decision-making.
I really can't see him leaving after only 2 years.
Would he leave $250K max per year for $1M plus per year.
I know it sounds a bit naive to say that a coach would not make a move for the money if it was there, but I think that is the type of guy that Frank is. He is a football purist at heart. I think more than anything he just loves to coach the game. He turned down Army I think it was before he came to Ohio and the main reason why he chose Ohio was because he "never felt so wanted in his life" (President paid him visits to talk with him when he was on campus to emphasize we wanted him at OHIO.) and he felt he had the full support of the administration behind him. He has already talked about looking forward to getting us to the point where we can be a consistant winner, was quoted as saying that really likes a lot of things that OU is about, and most recently said, "I've never had more enjoyment in a season than I have had this year.", (long time) after the Kent game. Judging by all of these things it doesn't look like Frank would leave OHIO for the money. If he was that motivated by dollar signs, he wouldn't have come to OHIO in the first place. Not saying that he will for sure never leave, he just chooses where he coaches based on whether or not it is a good fit for him personally first and foremost and I think he feels like OHIO is a good fit for him at the moment.
BobcatFan Wrote:Solich has repeatedly said the Ohio job would be his last, and that he is looking to retire there.
Really, did he actually say this? This is news to me. When did you hear him say this? A lot of fans are saying he is at OHIO for good, but I don't know quite what to think at this point. If he keeps things up at this pace, he is going to garner a lot of attention from a lot of different schools.
Honestly, it makes no sense for him to leave.
The knocks on him are the same as when he left NU. His offense is still rudimentary while his defense and special teams are solid.
And he still hasn't proven he can recruit big-time athletes.
He's set here in Athens for the rest of his career. He may interview at Minnehaha and Michigan State and UNC, but I don't think he'll take any of them....or maybe even be offered.
I suspect that he has enough $$ from the Nebraska gig and that he would like to stay at OU until he retires. If he can get them to the top of the MAC and keep them there - that is a pretty good feather in his cap and a legacy.
He's doing a great job and Ohio football is in good hands.
Solich isn't leaving. Theres no chance he will be leaving. He's still making plenty of money from Nebraska and he's happy here. I believe he's said he wants to end his career here, or at least hinted at it.
No big BCS school is going to want to hire someone his age anyway.
I agree with GoCats. Frank is not leaving OU until he retires. He's done the "big football school" thing. there would be no real satisfaction to him to do it again. i am sure he likes his situation in Athens. he's an Ohio boy (Cleveland) and he did say after the game Saturday that this is the most fun he's ever had coaching.
nope, he's set until he hangs it up.
Money doesn't buy everything. Frank Solich can be a legend at Ohio. Bowl trips , Conference titles, respect. In the MAC, Solich can become a top program as lot faster. You go to a BCS school, the pressure is more and the problems are bigger. Why would anybody want those BCS jobs. He already had a better job. He done more in his first 20 games at Ohio than any coach since Brian Burke in 1978-1979 who went 11-10. Solich could finish among the greatest coaches on Ohio history. When he retires, he can pick his successor at Ohio just like Tom Osborne did at Nebraska. I undertand others school will want him. He's done a good job getting up back to the level Grobe had us at. 10-10 at Ohio is very good considering we were just 6-17 the prior two seasons.
I really do hope he stays & turns Ohio into a solid team every year. Considering his Nebraska years, I would be surprised if money were a big issue - you would think he has plenty.
I admire both Amstutz & Novak's loyalty to their respective schools. I know that this is a stepping stone conference, but it is nice to have a few that are happy right where they are. Maybe with Solich's past history and his age, he'll say.....ya know, Athens is an ok place to be.
PLAT Wrote:I really do hope he stays & turns Ohio into a solid team every year. Considering his Nebraska years, I would be surprised if money were a big issue - you would think he has plenty.
I admire both Amstutz & Novak's loyalty to their respective schools. I know that this is a stepping stone conference, but it is nice to have a few that are happy right where they are. Maybe with Solich's past history and his age, he'll say.....ya know, Athens is an ok place to be.
Yeah, I think that adds to the money issue not being a factor. This is a guy that had enough money reserves that he took a year off after the Nebraska job I think because he was stilll receiving pay from the leftover time of his contract. I do hope as most if not all OHIO fans do, that Solich stays at OHIO until he retires. I have been saying it for years, but having a quality coach stay at OHIO for the long term is exactly what we need to establish a tradition in football. Grobe was on the brink of building that for us when he left and he is the reason why we have some of our contingent of football fans today. If Solich can stay at OHIO for ten years and keep up his winning ways, the fans are going to respond in a big way and then you might even be talking about stadium expansion, especially when you think about how good of a fundraiser our current AD is. I also respect Amstutz and Novak's loyalty to their schools. It would be great if Solich would stay around and those games would develop into rivalries with veteran coaches calling the shots on both sidelines. That would establish some more football tradition in the MAC as well.
Im not sure if he will stay or go, but wouldnt you think the way he was fired at Nebraska play into his decision? He saw first hand how the big schools will screw you over. Hes not going to find a job with more job security than the OU gig.
Isn't Solich 60 years old? I think this is his last stop, no one will hire a 60 yr old nor do I think he wants to get back in that pressure cooker. Its a more purer form of coaching in the MAC
GFlash68 Wrote:Would he leave $250K max per year for $1M plus per year.
First off this 250k max idea really doesn't fly......
Solich's
base salary is 250k. In addition to 250k he receives a country club membership, a 40,000 dollar automobile, numerous other perks......his real base package is 375k.
Then on top of 375k he is getting another 100k in performances incentives to bring the current package to about 500k.
One of the reasons Solich's package is only 500k was because he was still receiving payments from Nebraska still.......If this Slolich to Ohio saga plays out well and he commands an extention......I wouldn't be surprised if OU bumped his package up into the 700k range or better.
Secondly, not all BCS coaches make a lot of money. They dont at low level BCS programs. The coach at the University of North Carolina was only making 290k. Terry Hoppener, the Miami coach who moved onto Indiana signed a deal of 550,000........Ohio can compete with that kind of money.
The schools that are going to be interested in a Solich are the Vanderbilt's, the North Carolinas, the Indiana's of the college football world who have no chance at contending for a national championship. Those schools pay like good mid majors.......latteral move for Solich.
Solich is not going to leave Ohio. They will pay him as good as anyone else would and his place in the sports history books will be better with Ohio..............If he went to Northwestern he might get a winning season, who cares. But, if he takes a mid-major to into then power 16, then hew is the man. And if he takes them into a BCS Bowl, then he is a god amongst coaches.
If the pay is the same, I would rather be the guy remembered for moving a school up to the next level then the one (maybe) remembered for saving a school from moving down.
westernwilly Wrote:Solich is not going to leave Ohio. They will pay him as good as anyone else would and his place in the sports history books will be better with Ohio..............If he went to Northwestern he might get a winning season, who cares. But, if he takes a mid-major to into then power 16, then hew is the man. And if he takes them into a BCS Bowl, then he is a god amongst coaches.
If the pay is the same, I would rather be the guy remembered for moving a school up to the next level then the one (maybe) remembered for saving a school from moving down.
I agree 100%.