In the last week, two lower-regarded schools have had to make tough decisions for their football programs, but both feel very confident in these moves. Starting with Florida International hiring Butch Davis as their new head coach. Davis has been an ESPN analyst since 2014, but informed the program that he was leaving immediately after agreeing to a five-year deal with FIU.
Ron Turner was fired as the head coach after starting the season 0-4, but the school did not want to go after Davis right away, despite him being the obvious front-runner. Instead, they turned to Ron Cooper as their interim coach, as he has gone 3-3, and will coach the final two games of the season.
Davis has coached at Miami and North Carolina in his career, and also has NFL experience with the Cleveland Browns. The former Hurricanes coach was at Miami from 1995 to 2000, and spent time at UNC from 2007 to 2010. He was fired by the Tar Heels just before they opened practices for the 2011 season.
The 64-year-old realizes that he will be inheriting a young, rebuilding team in FIU, but is more than ready for that task. They went to bowl games in 2010 and 2011, but have yet to be bowl-eligible since. FIU has gone 16-42 since losing Mario Cristobal as head coach, who was the last man to take them to a bowl game.
Meanwhile, Fresno State also moved on in the coaching department in the past week, hiring Jeff Tedford as their new head man. The Bulldogs introduced their new coach in a press conference last Friday, as the connections came from his playing days with the school as their quarterback in the 1980s. Tedford has spent this season as a consultant on the Washington coaching staff.
The 55-year-old spent time as the head coach at California from 2002 to 2012 and won 82 games with them. He was fired and replaced by Sonny Dkyes after going 3-9 in 2012. He does have NFL experience as the offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs relieved him of his contract in 2014 after he took an indefinite leave to undergo a heart procedure.
Tedford has also coached in the Canadian Football League with the B.C. Lions, and went 7-11 in his lone season there. He takes over a Bulldogs team that has gone 1-9 this season, and is currently winless in the Mountain West Conference.
Ron Turner was fired as the head coach after starting the season 0-4, but the school did not want to go after Davis right away, despite him being the obvious front-runner. Instead, they turned to Ron Cooper as their interim coach, as he has gone 3-3, and will coach the final two games of the season.
Davis has coached at Miami and North Carolina in his career, and also has NFL experience with the Cleveland Browns. The former Hurricanes coach was at Miami from 1995 to 2000, and spent time at UNC from 2007 to 2010. He was fired by the Tar Heels just before they opened practices for the 2011 season.
The 64-year-old realizes that he will be inheriting a young, rebuilding team in FIU, but is more than ready for that task. They went to bowl games in 2010 and 2011, but have yet to be bowl-eligible since. FIU has gone 16-42 since losing Mario Cristobal as head coach, who was the last man to take them to a bowl game.
Meanwhile, Fresno State also moved on in the coaching department in the past week, hiring Jeff Tedford as their new head man. The Bulldogs introduced their new coach in a press conference last Friday, as the connections came from his playing days with the school as their quarterback in the 1980s. Tedford has spent this season as a consultant on the Washington coaching staff.
The 55-year-old spent time as the head coach at California from 2002 to 2012 and won 82 games with them. He was fired and replaced by Sonny Dkyes after going 3-9 in 2012. He does have NFL experience as the offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs relieved him of his contract in 2014 after he took an indefinite leave to undergo a heart procedure.
Tedford has also coached in the Canadian Football League with the B.C. Lions, and went 7-11 in his lone season there. He takes over a Bulldogs team that has gone 1-9 this season, and is currently winless in the Mountain West Conference.
