No Group of Five coach has spent more time at his school than Frank Solich at Ohio. After his unceremonious departure from Nebraska, Solich landed in Athens and has been a staple of MAC football ever since. As he approaches his 75th birthday this fall, though, Solich still has something to prove before he winds down his career.
In 14 seasons of MAC football, Solich’s Bobcats have broken out and won the MAC East on four occasions. On all four occasions, Ohio failed to win the conference title against the West champ. Last year marked the 50th anniversary since Ohio’s last MAC championship way back in 1968, and bringing another title to Athens would be huge before Solich retires.
Doing so this year will be tough. Even in a wide-open MAC East race, the Bobcats must contend with the loss of the bulk of their offensive output from 2018 if they are going to challenge for the division crown. It is on Solich and his staff to get the unit up to speed in time for the new campaign.
For a guy whose programs win at a .635 clip, it is still amazing to think that Solich has only won one conference title in 20 seasons as a college head coach. He has made no specific overtures toward retirement, but his chances to win a MAC title are waning.