Nebraska coach fires three staff members

LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Nebraska Coach Frank Solich, two days after the the Cornhuskers football team completed its worst regular season in 41 years, fired three defensive coaches and announced he would no longer call his own plays.

Solich fired defensive coordinator Craig Bohl, secondary coach Nelson Barnes and defensive ends coach George Darlington, and said he would choose an offensive coordinator "in the near future."

After getting manhandled by Miami in the Rose Bowl last season, the Cornhuskers stumbled to a 7-6 record in 2002, including 3-5 in Big 12 play. Nebraska had won at least nine games each of the previous 33 seasons and had not suffered six losses since 1961.

"We are taking the necessary steps to get this program turned back around," Solich said. "The University of Nebraska has a high standard of excellence and we will do whatever it takes to maintain that high standard."

Solich was one of only 12 Division 1-A head coaches who also served as his own offensive coordinator. But Nebraska's offense was fairly predictable this season, and it lacked blue-chip recruits at its skill positions that helped the school win three national championships between 1994-97.

"Delegating the duties of offensive coordinator will allow me the time to concentrate more on recruiting, spend more time with players and handle other administrative duties that go along with being head coach," Solich said.

Nebraska, which saw its NCAA-record 348-week stay in the media poll end after a loss to Iowa State on Sept. 28 and a 26-game home winning streak snapped by Texas on Nov. 2, is likely to play 6-6 Mississippi in the Independence Bowl later this month.