The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. - Nebraska football coach Frank Solich was fired Saturday night after winning more than 75 percent of his games over six seasons but failing to keep the Cornhuskers as the national powerhouse they were under Tom Osborne.

The firing by athletic director Steve Pederson was first reported by the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star.

"All I know is we did the best we could. We mustered up nine wins. To a man, we can hold our heads high," offensive coordinator Barney Cotton told the Associated Press.

Cotton said he had a bad feeling about the situation on the flight home from Colorado on Friday night after Nebraska's 31-22 victory.

"I was happy with the win and proud of how the kids played, but I didn't know if that win was enough to resolve the situation," he said. "Steve's decision must have already been made."

Solich's son-in-law, Jon Dalton, said Solich is disappointed.

"I don't know the reason behind it," Dalton said. "Get Steve to tell you. This is a sad day for the state of Nebraska."

Split end Ross Pilkington, was stunned.

"I'm so filled with emotion," Pilkington said. "It almost feels like losing my father. After winning nine games, this doesn't happen."

Solich and Pederson could not be reached for comment. Nebraska spokesperson Chris Anderson would not comment Saturday night on the firing.

Solich had just finished a 9-3 regular season with Friday's 31-22 victory at Colorado. He was 58-19 in six seasons.

Pinnacle Sports Network, the rights holder for Nebraska radio broadcasts, reported that first-year defensive coordinator Bo Pelini would be the interim head coach.

The current group of assistants will coach the in Nebraska's upcoming bowl game. It was unknown whether any of the assistants will be retained after the bowl.

"Frank just said it was over, and that Steve (Pederson) would be contacting us," Cotton told the Lincoln Journal Star.

Solich took over after Osborne retired after the 1997 season. The Cornhuskers won at least a share of the national title in three of Osborne's final four seasons.

Solich was 42-9 in his first four seasons. He was Big 12 coach of the year in 1999 and 2001, won the '99 conference title and his team played for the national championship after the '01 season.

But Solich's success was downplayed because critics said he won with players recruited by Osborne.

The Cornhuskers went 7-7 in 2002 - the team's worst season since 1961 - and struggled against quality opponents this season.

Their three losses all were by more than 17 points, capped by a 38-9 loss to Kansas State - Nebraska's worst at home since 1958 - in the final home game of the season.

Solich's record for his six seasons was 58-19.

The last Nebraska head football coach to be fired was Bill Jennings, who was removed and replaced by Bob Devaney in 1962.

Solich played fullback for Nebraska from 1963-65. He was assistant to Osborne for 19 years beginning in 1979.

Mike Stoops hired at Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. - Mike Stoops, the younger brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, was introduced Saturday as the new head coach at Arizona and promised a return to the glory days of bowl games and all-out defense.

"We're going to be ready to play when we start in September," he said. "We're going to have a defense that attacks people from a bunch of different ways, and we're going to have an offense that's going to spread people out and make them defend the whole field."

The younger Stoops, the top-ranked Sooners' co-defensive coordinator, inherits a team that went 2-10 and finished last in the Pac-10 for the first time.

But Stoops, 41, believes good coaches can win anywhere, a view reinforced by six years at Kansas State, a former have-not which has become a perennial bowl team. He cited Washington State as an example of what can be done in the intensely competitive Pac-10.

The secret is instilling a winning attitude in the players and coaching preparation, said Stoops, who believes Arizona has the facilities, attractiveness and athletes to reverse its string of four losing seasons.

"Every team I've ever been associated with has been as well-prepared as any team we played," he said.

Stoops is Arizona's 28th head coach, and the youngest since Larry Smith, then 40, was hired in 1980.

"He's worked hard and deserves this," Bob Stoops said. "He's more than prepared for it."

Mike Stoops will be bringing another brother along with him to Arizona. Miami defensive backs coach Mark Stoops told his players that he is leaving the Hurricanes to join the Wildcats. Mark Stoops and Miami coach Larry Coker officially declined comment, but Coker said the school would soon have a statement.

Given the upheaval in the program under former coach John Mackovic and the contrast with the successful men's basketball program, athletic director Jim Livengood wanted to make sure he chose the right man.

He said Oklahoma basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, a friend from their time together at Washington State, recommended Stoops two years ago.

"He said, 'Jim, you need to keep your eye on this guy,"' Livengood said. "'He's really something special. He can be just like his brother - he's out of the same mold."'

Stoops will help coach Oklahoma in its Big 12 title game against Kansas State on Saturday, but will return to Tucson after that and not stay with the Sooners for their bowl game.

Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow, also considered a front-runner, let it be known he wanted to stay with the Trojans until their bowl game.

Others considered were: Cincinnati Bengals assistant Ricky Hunley, New York Giants defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn and Mike Hankwitz, Mackovic's defensive coordinator, who took over after Mackovic was fired on Sept. 28.

University president Peter Likins, who interviewed the finalists, said Stoops was the first choice.

Likins had a visit last November from about 40 football players who complained that Mackovic was insensitive and aloof. The former NFL coach weathered the revolt, but was fired after this year's team won its opener and then lost four straight.

The Wildcats finished their worst season in 46 years - one that included a school-record, eight-game losing streak - with a 28-7 loss to Arizona State on Friday.

Livengood and Likins praised Hankwitz, who was 1-6 as a fill-in, and Stoops said he planned to meet with Hankwitz soon about the future.

Stoops' contract has not been finalized - another loose end that Livengood said would be tied up by Monday, the start of a significant recruiting period.

Stoops acknowledged that his program will trail in recruiting initially, but said some of the assistants he hopes to hire have ties to California, Texas or Arizona, where he expects to concentrate the recruiting effort.

Stoops has coached under his brother since 1999. He is the associate head coach for the No. 1 Sooners and shares defensive coordinator duties with Brent Venables, who left Kansas State the same time as Mike Stoops to join Oklahoma's staff.

Stoops was a two-time all-Big Ten defensive back at Iowa in 1983-84. He played for the NFL's Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena League before becoming a graduate assistant coach at Iowa in 1986.

He was hired at Kansas State in 1992, rising to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator before leaving for Oklahoma.

Stoops choked back tears when he talked about leaving players and fans in Oklahoma, but said he was in a dream situation.

"This has always been a goal of mine," he said.