COLORADO STATE: Sonny Lubick was Steve Fairchild’s mentor at Colorado State. Now, the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator is Lubick’s replacement with the Rams.
Fairchild, a former Colorado State quarterback and assistant coach, was hired as the school’s 19th head coach Wednesday.
The 49-year-old Fairchild was a member of Lubick’s first staff at Colorado State. He was the quarterbacks coach from 1993-96 before taking over as the Rams’ offensive coordinator for four seasons. Colorado State won five conference titles in his eight years as an assistant coach.
He left for Buffalo in 2001 to serve as the Bills’ running backs coach for two seasons. Fairchild is in his second season as the Bills’ offensive coordinator after tutoring under Mike Martz with the St. Louis Rams.
Fairchild won’t leave the Bills until after the conclusion of the season. The Bills (7-6) are in the middle of the AFC playoff race with three games remaining in the regular season.
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI: Hoping for a boost on offense and at the box office, Southern Miss hired Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora as its new coach.
Fedora replaces Jeff Bower, who was forced to resign last month after 17 years and 119 wins. Fedora told about 1,000 fans, media and pep band members that he believes he can squeeze more from a program that’s already a proven winner and Conference USA contender every season.
“I believe we can make the nation realize there’s a force to reckoned with here at Southern Miss,” Fedora said between ovations.
Fedora had been considered a front-runner for the job after he visited the Southern Miss campus last week.
The 45-year-old just completed his third season as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator and has 16 years of college coaching experience, including a stint as Florida’s offensive coordinator. This will be his first job as head coach.
Athletic Director Richard Giannini said he was looking for a way to fill seats when he began searching for Bower’s replacement.
Fedora’s single-back, no-huddle offense may be the solution. The Cowboys averaged 33.4 points and 484.1 yards per game on the way to a 6-6 record and an Insight Bowl berth.
Oklahoma State had the nation’s seventh-ranked rushing offense at 245.3 yards per game, and overall the offense was ranked ninth.
EASTERN WASHINGTON: Former Montana State football coach Mike Kramer said he plans to apply for the head coaching job at Eastern Washington, now that coach Paul Wulff has been hired at Washington State.
“I’m going to give it a shot at Eastern and see where it goes from there,” Kramer told the Great Falls Tribune Tuesday. “I’m trying like heck to find an opportunity for myself and my family.”
Kramer was fired by Montana State University in May, a day after a former MSU wide receiver was arrested on federal drug charges, one in a string of several arrests of current or former MSU athletes. The team had also lost scholarships for failing to meet NCAA academic progress requirements.
Kramer was at MSU from 1999-2006, posting a 40-43 record and sharing three Big Sky Conference titles.
Prior to that, Kramer was the head coach at Eastern Washington from 1994-98. His 1997 team went 12-2, won the Big Sky Conference championship and advanced to the playoffs.
Wulff was Kramer’s offensive coordinator at EWU.
MILES COLLEGE: Former Florida A&M coach Billy Joe is taking over at Division II Miles College. The 67-year-old Joe ranks behind only former Grambling State great Eddie Robinson in victories at historically black colleges with 237 wins in 31 seasons at three schools, most recently Florida A&M.
FCS ALL-AMERICA: New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos, along with record-breaking running back Omar Cuff of Delaware, were selected to The Associated Press FCS All-America team.
Santos, last season’s Walter Payton Award winner as the best player in what was formerly known as Division I-AA, has led the Wildcats to the playoffs each season. He threw for 2,972 yards and 24 touchdowns this season and New Hampshire finished 7-5 after a Football Championship Subdivision playoff loss to top-ranked Northern Iowa.
Cuff, who will lead the Blue Hens into the national championship game against Appalachian State, set an FCS record for touchdowns this season with 38. He’s also run for 1,861 yards.
Eastern Washington wide receiver Aaron Boyce (second team), defensive end Greg Peach (second team) and offensive guard Matt Alfred (third team) were named to the team.
AUBURN: The SEC school hired Troy offensive coordinator Tony Franklin to run the Tigers’ offense. Franklin, who will also coach quarterbacks, spent the past two seasons running a no-huddle, spread offense at Troy. He is also is a former Kentucky offensive coordinator.
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