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Topic: 25 Years Later
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Athens
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Posted: 6/27/2020 12:25 PM
Hard to believe that its been 25 years now since Tom Boeh became the Ohio AD and changed everything around in the athletic department with his Victory with Honor campaign. The "next level" vision that he had for football looking back at the plans at the time would be to become the type of program that plays on national TV. Basketball "next level" was to regularly contend for the NCAAs.

I believe we did get to the next level with the bowl and NCAA success over the past decade with head coaches making CUSA/MWC level money. Facilities are beyond the wildest imagination of Boeh which stopped at an IPF. But did the investments in athletics bring the visibility to OU promised? I read posts on here from fans involved 25+ years ago they were not even aware that a strategic vision was laid out for the athletic department.

Other fans that have thought that things have changed since Solich and it was his hire that was the catalyst but he was brought in to be that bobcat football coach 2.0 that Boeh dreamed to sign. Basketball 2.0 coaches started with Groce and carried forward today with Boals. I see Ohio as a full level up athletically from where it was 25 years ago but did it fulfill the fan expectations? If not what were those expectations that you had?

I couldn't find the original Victory of Honor online but I did find Boeh's first presentation to the BOD. On page 3 he talks about staying in 1-A and building an IPF. Broadcast quality lighting for TV in Peden was a big feature of his daringly ambitious for the time facility plan.

https://www.ohio.edu/sites/default/files/sites/trustees/f...
Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 6/27/2020 5:11 PM
Club Hyatt wrote:expand_more
Hard to believe that its been 25 years now since Tom Boeh became the Ohio AD and changed everything around in the athletic department with his Victory with Honor campaign. The "next level" vision that he had for football looking back at the plans at the time would be to become the type of program that plays on national TV. Basketball "next level" was to regularly contend for the NCAAs.

I believe we did get to the next level with the bowl and NCAA success over the past decade with head coaches making CUSA/MWC level money. Facilities are beyond the wildest imagination of Boeh which stopped at an IPF. But did the investments in athletics bring the visibility to OU promised? I read posts on here from fans involved 25+ years ago they were not even aware that a strategic vision was laid out for the athletic department.

Other fans that have thought that things have changed since Solich and it was his hire that was the catalyst but he was brought in to be that bobcat football coach 2.0 that Boeh dreamed to sign. Basketball 2.0 coaches started with Groce and carried forward today with Boals. I see Ohio as a full level up athletically from where it was 25 years ago but did it fulfill the fan expectations? If not what were those expectations that you had?

I couldn't find the original Victory of Honor online but I did find Boeh's first presentation to the BOD. On page 3 he talks about staying in 1-A and building an IPF. Broadcast quality lighting for TV in Peden was a big feature of his daringly ambitious for the time facility plan.

https://www.ohio.edu/sites/default/files/sites/trustees/f...
Bleh had zero to do with the hiring of Frank.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 6/27/2020 6:05 PM
Club Hyatt wrote:expand_more
Hard to believe that its been 25 years now since Tom Boeh became the Ohio AD and changed everything around in the athletic department with his Victory with Honor campaign. The "next level" vision that he had for football looking back at the plans at the time would be to become the type of program that plays on national TV. Basketball "next level" was to regularly contend for the NCAAs.

I believe we did get to the next level with the bowl and NCAA success over the past decade with head coaches making CUSA/MWC level money. Facilities are beyond the wildest imagination of Boeh which stopped at an IPF. But did the investments in athletics bring the visibility to OU promised? I read posts on here from fans involved 25+ years ago they were not even aware that a strategic vision was laid out for the athletic department.

Other fans that have thought that things have changed since Solich and it was his hire that was the catalyst but he was brought in to be that bobcat football coach 2.0 that Boeh dreamed to sign. Basketball 2.0 coaches started with Groce and carried forward today with Boals. I see Ohio as a full level up athletically from where it was 25 years ago but did it fulfill the fan expectations? If not what were those expectations that you had?

I couldn't find the original Victory of Honor online but I did find Boeh's first presentation to the BOD. On page 3 he talks about staying in 1-A and building an IPF. Broadcast quality lighting for TV in Peden was a big feature of his daringly ambitious for the time facility plan.

https://www.ohio.edu/sites/default/files/sites/trustees/f...
Had there been as many bowls as there are today, Jim Grobe would have gotten us to 3 in his 6 years here. If you're a .500 team you got to a bowl. Heck, Brian Burke would have gotten us to a bowl 3 of his 6 seasons. We are a good MAC team, no doubt about it but Boeh had nothing to do with that.
Athens
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Posted: 6/27/2020 6:46 PM
If it was not Boeh than was it Glidden? McDavis? A presidential vision the AD's were told to follow? Alden still quietly pulling the strings like he did when constructing the Convo?

I don't think Boeh thought we'd be in a bowl every year but that someday in the distant future have the type of program strong enough to be favored to win one of the bowl games we played in.
Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
Last Edited: 6/27/2020 6:47:09 PM by Athens
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 6/27/2020 10:12 PM
Club Hyatt wrote:expand_more
If it was not Boeh than was it Glidden? McDavis? A presidential vision the AD's were told to follow? Alden still quietly pulling the strings like he did when constructing the Convo?

I don't think Boeh thought we'd be in a bowl every year but that someday in the distant future have the type of program strong enough to be favored to win one of the bowl games we played in.
Think what you want, but Thomas had no imput in the hiring of Frank.
Athens
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Posted: 6/28/2020 12:15 AM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
If it was not Boeh than was it Glidden? McDavis? A presidential vision the AD's were told to follow? Alden still quietly pulling the strings like he did when constructing the Convo?

I don't think Boeh thought we'd be in a bowl every year but that someday in the distant future have the type of program strong enough to be favored to win one of the bowl games we played in.
Think what you want, but Thomas had no imput in the hiring of Frank.
This article quotes Boeh as saying all the pieces were finally in place to hire a guy of Solich caliber.

https://journalstar.com/ohio-u-introduces-solich-as-coach...
Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
Last Edited: 6/28/2020 12:16:16 AM by Athens
Athens
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Posted: 6/28/2020 12:20 AM
Head Football Coach Frank Solich

I feel right at home in this (Ohio Bobcats) coat, I want you to know that.

Thank you very much. I appreciate being here and I want to agree with Thomas in that I hope this process doesn?t have to take place for many, many years for really everybody?s sake.

It?s great to be back in the game and it?s great to be back in the game at Ohio University. I?m joining a university that has an outstanding academic reputation and an outstanding faculty and we feel very good to be part of that excellence and that team. I would like to personally thank Dr. McDavis for all that he?s done. He?s been great. He joined me yesterday on four different occasions just to visit and talk. I don?t know that that?s very common. I don?t think you?ll see many presidents or chancellors around the country visiting with their football coach that many times. It just showed to me the great interest that he has in this university. The fact that he?s leading this university in the manner that he is ? academically and also with all the sports programs ? is very much appreciated by me and I?m sure by everybody else connected with this great, great university.

I?d also like to thank Thomas Boeh. Thomas and I had some contact a while back and he was telling me about the great things of Ohio University and I was telling him about the great things of Frank Solich so eventually we?ve kind of matched up.

https://www.ohiobobcats.com/sports/fball/spec-rel/121604a...
Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 6/28/2020 8:47 AM
Yeah, and again, believe what you want. It is a press conference, news release, what are they supposed to say.
Bobcat1996
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Posted: 6/28/2020 9:50 AM
Agree with Billy as this was Roderick's call and hire. Plain and simple.
Athens
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Posted: 6/28/2020 12:51 PM
Bobcat1996 wrote:expand_more
Agree with Billy as this was Roderick's call and hire. Plain and simple.
Did I say it was Boeh's executive decision to hire Solich? Did I compare Boeh's leadership and charisma to that of Vernon Alden's? What am I missing here in this imaginary argument that you are debating me with that I'm not making?

All that I've said is that its been 25 years since Boeh arrived in Athens with his next level athletics plan and that part of this plan along with the facilities was to bring in 2.0 coaches.

It sounds like you're in the camp that Boeh didn't lay any groundwork to your knowledge for where the athletic department is today and was a non-factor in the direction of the athletic department.
Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 6/28/2020 8:42 PM
Club Hyatt wrote:expand_more
Agree with Billy as this was Roderick's call and hire. Plain and simple.
Did I say it was Boeh's executive decision to hire Solich? Did I compare Boeh's leadership and charisma to that of Vernon Alden's? What am I missing here in this imaginary argument that you are debating me with that I'm not making?

All that I've said is that its been 25 years since Boeh arrived in Athens with his next level athletics plan and that part of this plan along with the facilities was to bring in 2.0 coaches.

It sounds like you're in the camp that Boeh didn't lay any groundwork to your knowledge for where the athletic department is today and was a non-factor in the direction of the athletic department.
I’ve got more insight to that era than you will know. It’s 25 years ago, not worth the memories today
Athens
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Posted: 6/29/2020 12:01 AM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Agree with Billy as this was Roderick's call and hire. Plain and simple.
Did I say it was Boeh's executive decision to hire Solich? Did I compare Boeh's leadership and charisma to that of Vernon Alden's? What am I missing here in this imaginary argument that you are debating me with that I'm not making?

All that I've said is that its been 25 years since Boeh arrived in Athens with his next level athletics plan and that part of this plan along with the facilities was to bring in 2.0 coaches.

It sounds like you're in the camp that Boeh didn't lay any groundwork to your knowledge for where the athletic department is today and was a non-factor in the direction of the athletic department.
I’ve got more insight to that era than you will know. It’s 25 years ago, not worth the memories today
Taking your comments what if we say that its not possible to change the perception of athletics at Ohio and so any effort is at its core futile.

I can see that as Athens is a small town and alumni have written it off by default as not having potential. Alumni are bitter about the gauging of rents by landlords and arrogant profs so they want to put the whole experience in the rear view.
Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
SBH
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Posted: 6/29/2020 9:09 AM
Tom Boeh hired one football coach: Brian Knorr. How'd that work out for us?

The guy was a disaster. Beyond his ("alleged") affair with a staffer, he was an HR nightmare. He made it more, not less, difficult to attract quality coaches. Jim Grobe couldn't stand him. He created an environment in the department that was not unlike today's White House. If he used spray tan he would've been the original Orange Menace.
Last Edited: 6/29/2020 9:15:41 AM by SBH
Mike Johnson
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Posted: 6/29/2020 9:49 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
Tom Boeh hired one football coach: Brian Knorr. How'd that work out for us?

The guy was a disaster. Beyond his ("alleged") affair with a staffer, he was an HR nightmare. He made it more, not less, difficult to attract quality coaches. Jim Grobe couldn't stand him. He created an environment in the department that was not unlike today's White House. If he used spray tan he would've been the original Orange Menace.
Knorr's unreadyness to be a headcoach was evident in his first game as HC at Akron.

That said, if Grobe couldn't stand him, why did he bring Knorr with him from Air Force?
http://www.facebook.com/mikejohnson.author
Deciduous Forest Cat
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Posted: 6/29/2020 9:52 AM
Mike Johnson wrote:expand_more
Tom Boeh hired one football coach: Brian Knorr. How'd that work out for us?

The guy was a disaster. Beyond his ("alleged") affair with a staffer, he was an HR nightmare. He made it more, not less, difficult to attract quality coaches. Jim Grobe couldn't stand him. He created an environment in the department that was not unlike today's White House. If he used spray tan he would've been the original Orange Menace.
Knorr's unreadyness to be a headcoach was evident in his first game as HC at Akron.

That said, if Grobe couldn't stand him, why did he bring Knorr with him from Air Force?

I believe he was implying that grobe couldn't stand boeh.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 6/29/2020 4:16 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
Tom Boeh hired one football coach: Brian Knorr. How'd that work out for us?

The guy was a disaster. Beyond his ("alleged") affair with a staffer, he was an HR nightmare. He made it more, not less, difficult to attract quality coaches. Jim Grobe couldn't stand him. He created an environment in the department that was not unlike today's White House. If he used spray tan he would've been the original Orange Menace.
From what I heard Grobe might have stayed at OHIO for several more years, if he had gotten along better with Boeh. He let it be known that he was looking for a new job, according to this story, because he couldn't take working for that arrogant SOB any longer.
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Posted: 6/29/2020 5:51 PM
I was at the Akron game. Akron kept throwing short, low to the ground passes that were on the money in the window they were being thrown. No yards after the catch for the most part but chunk after chunk of yardage. Boeh was pacing the sideline and poor knorr looked helpless on how to adapt. I knew, and others did too I assume, that we knew it would be a long 4 or 5 years.
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Posted: 6/29/2020 6:16 PM
As bad as Knorr was, he still got some excellent pieces which Frank was able to work with. I don't know how the hell Kalvin McRae ended up in Athens but sure glad he did.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 6/29/2020 11:15 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
Tom Boeh hired one football coach: Brian Knorr. How'd that work out for us?

The guy was a disaster. Beyond his ("alleged") affair with a staffer, he was an HR nightmare. He made it more, not less, difficult to attract quality coaches. Jim Grobe couldn't stand him. He created an environment in the department that was not unlike today's White House. If he used spray tan he would've been the original Orange Menace.
100000000000% spot on with Boeh And 110% with his relationship with a football coach.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 6/30/2020 9:44 AM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Tom Boeh hired one football coach: Brian Knorr. How'd that work out for us?

The guy was a disaster. Beyond his ("alleged") affair with a staffer, he was an HR nightmare. He made it more, not less, difficult to attract quality coaches. Jim Grobe couldn't stand him. He created an environment in the department that was not unlike today's White House. If he used spray tan he would've been the original Orange Menace.
100000000000% spot on with Boeh And 110% with his relationship with a football coach.
And the Green and White Club. If he couldn't control something, he didn't much like it. Kirby was a breath of fresh air when he showed up.
OUcats82
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Posted: 7/8/2020 10:30 AM
I always thought Boeh looked and acted like Biff from Back to the Future.

That alone was enough for me not to like him.
Ohio-The State University

BillyTheCat
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Posted: 7/8/2020 10:43 PM
OUcats82 wrote:expand_more
I always thought Boeh looked and acted like Biff from Back to the Future.

That alone was enough for me not to like him.
+1
Deciduous Forest Cat
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Posted: 7/9/2020 9:59 AM
OUcats82 wrote:expand_more
I always thought Boeh looked and acted like Biff from Back to the Future.

That alone was enough for me not to like him.
That's weird, our president (USA not Ohio) acts like Biff from BTTF part 2.
Last Edited: 7/9/2020 9:59:27 AM by Deciduous Forest Cat
cc-cat
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Posted: 7/9/2020 10:51 AM
Deciduous Forest Cat wrote:expand_more
I always thought Boeh looked and acted like Biff from Back to the Future.

That alone was enough for me not to like him.
That's weird, our president (USA not Ohio) acts like Biff from BTTF part 2.

https://www.nme.com/news/back-to-the-future-writer-reveal...
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