What had been rumored for a week became a reality on Saturday. Nebraska head coach Frank Solich has been removed from his position by Athletic Director Steve Pederson.

The decision came following a Saturday evening meeting.

THe termination is effective immediately. Solich will not coach the team for their upcoming bowl game. Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini will serve as interim head coach, at least until a permanent coach is named.

Solich called all of his assistants immediately after the meeting, including Offensive Coordinator Barney Cotton.

“It wasn’t that much of a surprise,” Cotton said in an interview on KOZN radio. “On the plane ride back (from Friday's game in Colorado) I didn’t have a great feeling that this thing would be resolved in our favor.

“Since the story came out last Sunday, rumors generally have a basis in fact.”

Cotton was unsure what the status of the remainder of the staff would be in the future.

Solich's dismissal comes after a troublesome two seasons and an even more turbulent week. Last year his team suffered through a sub-par 7-7 campaign, including several blowout losses. This year his team reached a respectable 9-3 final regular season slate, but was victimized by two lop-sided losses to Texas and Kansas State and a blew a fourth quarter lead at Missouri.

Last week the Lincoln Journal-Star newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying Pederson had already made the decision to remove Solich so the team could go in a new direction. Those reports fueled heated debate across the state of Nebraska as well as the internet as to whether Solich should be retained. The diatribe seemed to subside following Nebraska's 31-22 victory over Colorado on Friday.

Saturday's announcement seemed to confirm those reports.

Solich took over as head coach in 1998 as the hand-picked successor to Tom Osborne. In his six years Solich amassed a record of 58-19. His 1999 squad finished the year ranked number 3 in the nation. He followed that with two straight eighth place finishes.

The wheels fell of in 2002, however. Losses to Penn State and Iowa State were quickly followed by defeats by Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas State and Colorado, as well as an Independence Bowl loss to Mississippi.

Solich's legacy at the University of Nebraska began in the early sixties when he lettered as an undersized fullback from 1963 to 1965. He first joined the Nebraska coaching staff in 1979 when he coached the freshmen. He was later elevated to running backs coach in 1983 and was promoted to assistant head coach in 1991. Tom Osborne personally tabbed Solich as his replacement following Osborne's retirement in 1997.