Another one bites the dust.
In a move that isn’t at all surprising, Fresno State let head coach Tim DeRuyter go on Sunday afternoon after the Bulldogs fell to 1-7.
“Tim DeRuyter is a man of high character -- a class individual who is a leader of men,” athletics director Jim Bartko said in a statement. “Over the time I’ve been here, the football program has shown it has the ability to be a product the Red Wave can be excited about, but the results have not been to the standard we anticipated and expect.”
DeRuyter was a solid hire initially for the program as they replaced longtime head coach Pat Hill. He jumped out to a 20-6 record in his first two seasons, including an 11-2 year in 2013 and a wave of national publicity with Derek Carr at quarterback.
That was the team’s peak however and it’s been downhill ever since for the former Mountain West power. DeRuyter went 6-8 in 2014, 3-9 in 2015 and began 2016 with a just one win (over an FCS team) in seven tries.
DeRuyter likely won’t be out of a job for long considering he has a good reputation as a defensive coordinator. What might more interesting is where the school turns after this, as alum and current Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has been a name many have connected to the opening. Former head coach Jeff Tedford has also been mentioned as a candidate as well.
Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau was named the interim head coach and will lead the team the remaining of the season. Fresno State plays Air Force on Friday.
