Embrace the Past

For new coaches attempting to fill huge shoes, history suggests it is smart to embrace the legend and make the most of it instead of trying to cut ties with the former coach and his assistants. When Gary Crowton took over at BYU for LaVell Edwards following the 2000 season, he reminded Cougar fans, “I’m not LaVell Edwards. I tried my imitation on the sidelines, and I’m not him. But I’ve learned from him. I’ve watched his contributions. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to follow him.” Solich appears to be one of the smartest coaches to follow a legend, mostly because of his realistic understanding of what takes to win over the people. When Nebraska chose him to move from running backs coach to head coach, Solich didn’t change the offense, the defense or the uniforms and kept an outstanding coaching staff intact. “I’ve never operated out of the fear of failure,”