Editorial

Nice guys are sometimes shoved aside

Monday, December 1, 2003

Along with many other Nebraskans, the editorial writers of the McCook Daily Gazette expressed support for keeping Frank Solich, who compiled a 58-19 record during his six years as the head football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

But the support fell on deaf ears. Nebraska's athletic director, Steve Pederson, had his mind made up. Solich was fired Saturday night as the Cornhuskers' football coach.

With the decision to dismiss Solich, Pederson made it clear that being pretty good is not good enough. "I refuse to let this program gravitate to mediocrity," he said Sunday in a tension-filled press conference.

Pederson went on to say that his decision was not based on wins and losses but on where the program is headed. "We will not surrender the Big 12 Conference to Oklahoma and Texas," he exclaimed.

While there is widespread agreement that Solich is a nice, classy guy, a number of people are now saying that Pederson made the right, long range decision for the sake of the Nebraska football program.

Among those supporting the athletic director's decision to fire Solich is Tom Shatel, the sports columnist for the Omaha World-Herald. "I believe Pederson is right. This (Nebraska) program has tradition and passion, but it's stuck in the middle of the country. In this age of parity and everyone on TV and 85 scholarships, you better have the best possible coach. You better have a salesman. You better have someone who knows personnel and how to motivate it."

Describing Solich as an indecisive coach who played favorites and turned Nebraska into a one dimensional offense, Shatel said Solich "was not that guy."

Maybe. Maybe not.

It was very obvious at Sunday's press conference that a solid core of Husker players supported Solich. So did a number of recruits, who were stunned by the announcement that Frank was out after six years as the Huskers' head man.

And there's no denying that the Huskers were much improved this season, going from a 7-7 record in 2002 to 9-3 this year, with a possibility of going to 10-3 with a bowl victory.

Nebraska football is important to the state's image and the state's economy. For years, we were able to keep the Big Red fires burning brightly with a family feeling and the team approach of Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne and Frank Solich.

It's too bad that had to change. It's too bad that in these dog-eat-dog days of college sports, nice guys are sometimes shoved aside.

In the final analysis, it is not the man but the program that matters. Solich has already found that out. If his bold move fizzles, so might Pederson, too.

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