Football
Kellyn Flohr
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ATHENS, Ohio – Four Mid-American Conference East titles, A MAC-record 115 wins and 11 bowl appearances.
In his time as head coach at Ohio, 2024 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Frank Solich wrote his name across the record books. His motivated, passionate and competitive personality drove him and the Bobcats to success, but it’s his impact beyond statistics that solidifies him as an important figure in Bobcat history.
Graduate student defensive end Bradley Weaver (Hilliard, Ohio) joined Ohio’s football program near the end of Solich’s time as coach, but it didn’t take long for him to develop a positive image of him. Right away, he saw how valuable Coach Solich’s knowledge was and wanted to soak up any moments with him. One of the times he and Solich spoke one-on-one lives on in Weaver’s memory. He walked into Solich’s office looking for another coach, but instead found Solich and a staff member cleaning up the place.
“I ended up talking to him and felt a strong desire to ask him for advice as a freshman. His response was to ‘just be yourself and never try to become anyone else. Over time everyone will know who you are,'” Weaver said.
Knowing that someone believed in him gave Weaver the confidence he needed to get through his first season with Ohio. It was the same belief that recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Metz felt his first day as a graduate assistant with the program.
Solich taught Metz about steady leadership, dealing with obstacles, and putting the well-being of players first, which are all things he faces now as a full-time staff member.
“Solich recognized that you win with people, so he was very loyal,” Metz said. “The other coaches and I have continued to try and work in the same way that Solich did, by treating people in the best way possible.”
Current head coach Tim Albin worked with Solich for a number of years, and considers him a dear friend and mentor. He recognizes the same fire and compassion in Solich as Weaver and Metz.
“By his leadership and example, he shaped his players and coaches into outstanding men. Everyone who played for him and coached with him was made better by being with him. That’s the true impact of a coach,” Albin said.
Albin took over for Solich after his retirement in 2021. It was odd seeing another coach on the headset after 16 seasons, but the Bobcats knew that they were capable of anything with the way Solich had prepared them. Graduate student center Parker Titsworth (Wexford, Pa.) is one of the few remaining Bobcats who played under Solich, and he knew that the team could thrive with the way Solich had left it.
Titsworth was on the team when Ohio won the 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. After the Bobcats secured the win over Nevada, the team chased Solich down the field. To douse him in a french fry shower.
“His reaction was to just start eating them,” Titsworth said with a laugh.
As his legacy continues to inspire future generations of players, Solich’s impact remains palpable in the hearts and minds of those he coached. His lessons of hard work, dedication and integrity are woven into the fabric of Ohio’s program, shaping not just players, but well-rounded individuals ready to take on the world.
Solich taught his teams that success isn’t just about wins; it’s about becoming better individuals. As Solich is honored at Ohio’s game against Buffalo on Oct. 26, the memories of long practices and sweet victories will fill the hearts of those who joined his journey with Ohio.
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