Nebraska fans who are firm believers in the “Curse of Frank Solich” can take solace in the fact that the former Cornhuskers coach has done his part to end it.
Solich, the former Nebraska coach, is back in Lincoln this weekend as an invited guest for the Cornhuskers’ spring game. On Friday, he officially returned to Memorial Stadium, where he declared the curse named after him to be over and done with.
Frank Solich is back at Memorial Stadium and just declared the “curse is over,” waving his arms for effect.
— Tom Shatel (@tomshatelOWH) April 21, 2023
For those unfamiliar with the Solich curse, the idea dates back to 2003, when Nebraska fired the head coach after a 9-3 season. At that time, the Huskers saw themselves as annual championship contenders, and 9-win seasons were not good enough. Ultimately, Solich’s final team finished 10-3, a record that has yet to be matched by any of his four successors. Only Bo Pelini came close, finishing 10-4 three times. Solich went on to spend a decade and a half at Ohio, where he went 115-82 before retiring in 2021.
Nebraska’s new coach, Matt Rhule, is clearly trying to reset the culture around the program. If it works, maybe he can credit Solich with an assist for wiping out the namesake curse.
