It's been no secret that the Bobcats have been a different team since Frank Solich took the reigns as head coach three years ago. In just his second season with the team, the Bobcats advanced to their first-ever Mid-American Championship and made their first postseason bowl game for the first time since 1968. As he prepares to meet the lofty expectations sure to be placed on his team, Solich recently sat down with The Post's Andrew Gribble to discuss the upcoming season.
Post: Now that it's your third year here, is it safe to say that this summer has been the easiest for you?
Solich: I'd say so. And I think this has been our most productive year we've had in terms of getting a number of guys in summer school and keeping them on track for graduation. We have about everybody here and I don't think you can be successful unless you're ready to commit year-round. And that commitment is here.
Post: What's a typical day like for you during the summer? It's got to be less hectic than during the season.
Solich: It's definitely more relaxed. I can go into the office a little later (laughs) than a typical workday. I just keep up on correspondence because that continues to come in. I find time to take a break but I don't take long ones.
Post: The buzz surrounding the team going all the way up to the first game of the season will be on the quarterback situation. How do you see that playing out?
Solich: Brad Bower will go into camp really as the guy in position to start as No. 1, but there will be a lot of competition. But there won't be a lot of time to have competition, so we're going to have to make some decisions fairly quickly. We're going to have to make sure that the guy we choose is ready to go from the first game on. And it could be a deal where we get two quarterbacks playing time in games early. We've got some options.
Post: After last year's success, has it settled in yet that this is going to be a team with high expectations?
Solich: It's obvious the players have high expectations and really want to have a great year. And they've worked towards that. I think we'll be a faster team on the defensive side of the ball. I think we'll maybe have the ability to be a more complete team on offense.
Post: The spotlight's definitely been brighter on Athens since your arrival, but it's still nowhere near what it was for you at Nebraska. What's been the biggest difference?
Solich: The whole state was involved for the most part in Nebraska football. There was no other major college in the state, certainly no other Division I team in the state. Here, there's many Division I teams, of course. At Nebraska, you didn't have trouble filling a stadium. That was automatic. It's not automatic here.
Post: Outside of football, when you have some free time away from Peden, what do you enjoy doing here during the summer?
Solich: That's a problem. I really don't have many hobbies (laughs). Just getting away from it is enough for me. I do a little traveling to see family. Getting around family is something every coach tries to do a lot during July. When it's in-season and recruiting season, time spent with your family suffers.
Post: Now you've been here a couple years and it seems like you are definitely enjoying yourself. Is this a place where you would be comfortable ending your career as a coach?
Solich: I could see that happening, certainly. I'm hoping that we can continue to gather support and OU football becomes recognized as a quality program. If I can get that done, I could feel good about my career. It's a business that you never know. You can't take anything for granted, like where you're going to be one year from the next. I know I really feel good about the president and the athletic director and the support that we've gotten. There are a lot of plusses here and there's obviously some things that are also challenges. But that's the way it is no matter where you go.
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Andrew Gribble
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