Skip to content
College Sports
Link copied to clipboard

Maryland fires football coach Friedgen

Ralph Friedgen was fired as Maryland's football coach yesterday, effective after the Military Bowl on Dec. 29. Friedgen received $2 million to cover the final year of his contract in 2011. Athletic director Kevin Anderson intended to immediately form a search committee to find Friedgen's replacement, and acknowledged that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is on his preliminary list.

Ralph Friedgen

was fired as Maryland's football coach yesterday, effective after the Military Bowl on Dec. 29. Friedgen received $2 million to cover the final year of his contract in 2011. Athletic director

Kevin Anderson

intended to immediately form a search committee to find Friedgen's replacement, and acknowledged that former Texas Tech coach

Mike Leach

is on his preliminary list.

During his 10 years at his alma mater, Friedgen went 74-50. After the Terrapins slipped to 2-10 last year, Friedgen guided the team to an 8-4 record, was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year for a second time and earned his seventh postseason appearance.

Anderson intended to bring back Friedgen for the final year of his contract until Terps offensive coordinator James Franklin accepted the head coaching job at Vanderbilt on Friday. After signing with the Commodores, Franklin offered jobs to several Maryland assistants.

In other college football news:

* Ohio State assistant Darrell Hazell was hired as the head coach at Kent State. He replaces Doug Martin, who resigned.

* Authorities in Haines City, Fla., said Elgusta James, the mother of University of Miami sophomore running back Mike James, died in a car crash.

Philly File

* Drexel basketball coach Bruiser Flint was named national coach of the week by the Hoops Report. Flint led the Dragons to a win at No. 20 Louisville and at St. Francis (Pa.). Also, Drexel senior guard Gerald Colds was chosen CAA co-player of the week.

* Villanova senior guard Corey Fisher has been named Big 5 men's player of the week after scoring 21 points, and having six assists, five rebounds and three steals in the Wildcats' win over Delaware. Saint Joseph's junior guard Michelle Baker was named Big 5 women's player of the week after scoring a career-high 29 points against Princeton.

* Todd Fairlie, a product of Marple-Newtown and Widener, and a 2-year assistant under the previous boss, Bill Gallagher, is Episcopal Academy's new football coach.

Golf

* Sean O'Hair (No. 43) and Ricky Fowler (No. 28) are the only Americans among 13 players who have qualified for the Masters through the world ranking.