Locked due to no posts in 60 days. Report 1st post if need unlocked [MUST READ] 'Unbeatable': The story of Tom Osborne's final five years

[DuckTownHusker]

The OWH ran a fantastic article on Tom Osborne's last five years at Nebraska and his 1997 retirement. Originally, he planned to retire in 1996 but Jason Peter and Grant Wistrom wanted to come play for him again instead of going pro.

“I don't think Tom wanted to retire,'' Moeser said in an interview earlier this year. “I don't think he was ready to retire. But he felt ethically bound to a promise he had made to Frank. ... He did make it clear, it was a promise to Frank.''

Five years eariler, Osborne had promised Solich that he would step aside and let Frankie become head coach. Now, with the unbelievable success Nebraska was seeing on the field, Tom knew he couldn't hang up his hat just yet. He asked Solich for one more year. Solich agreed.

Osborne talked with the Chancellor in September about his plans, swore him to secrecy and finished the season before announcing retirement in December.

“I wanted it to be business as usual,'' he recalled. “We had Wistrom and Peter who decided to stay and dedicated themselves to win them all. I wanted to give us every chance to do that.'' But by secretly telling his bosses, Osborne figured he would be making it firm and official: 1997 would be his final year.

With 3 NTs in 4 years, Osborne really wasn't ready to retire but was keeping his promise to Solich.

“But I also think a promise is a promise,'' he said recently. “You don't go back on your word.''

http://www.omaha.com/article/20121117/HUSKERS/311189972/1707

 

[HuskerRedDread]

Tom.....respectable and honorable. Thanks for everything.

But can you imagine if he hadn't left. What he could have done with that 2001 team. That 1999 team.

 

[redwinghusker]

Tom.....respectable and honorable. Thanks for everything.

But can you imagine if he hadn't left. What he could have done with that 2001 team. That 1999 team.

No kidding. What could have been.

 

[mjw11]

Frank should not have held T.O. to any promise...that was a mistake