UCF is expected to hire Bowling Green head coach Dino Babers to replace George O'Leary, with an announcement expected soon, SB Nation's Steven Godfrey reports. 247Sports first reported the expected deal. Bowling Green plays Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship Game Friday.
O'Leary announced his resignation in October in the midst of an 0-12 season. The school's head coach since 2004, O'Leary had led the Knights to a Fiesta Bowl win just two years ago, and retired with an 81-68 record at the school.
Things got so bad for UCF that an Orlando bar started serving free beer to customers until the next Knights victory. That hasn't happened yet. UCF's final loss of the season, a 44-3 Thanksgiving defeat to South Florida, featured some of the saddest fans we've ever seen.
A former Hawaii running back and defensive back who bounced between jobs for much of the beginning of his career, Babers latched onto Art Briles's Baylor staff in 2008, coaching wide receivers and special teams. He was hired as the head coach of FCS Eastern Illinois prior to the 2012 season, leading the Panthers to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference titles. Babers's explosive offense style was on display his second year at EIU; with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the Panthers went 8-0 in conference play and advanced to the FCS quarterfinals.
Babers took his high-powered offense to Bowling Green prior to the 2014 season, winning back-to-back MAC East titles and possessing one of the most efficient and explosive offenses in the country. Falcons quarterback Matt Johnson leads the nation with 4,465 passing yards and is second with 41 touchdowns.
Babers would join fellow former Briles assistant Philip Montgomery in the AAC. Montgomery was hired by Tulsa prior to the 2015 season, going 6-6 and getting the Golden Hurricane bowl eligible for the first time since 2012.
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/11/29/9816248/dino-babers-ucf-head-coach
O'Leary announced his resignation in October in the midst of an 0-12 season. The school's head coach since 2004, O'Leary had led the Knights to a Fiesta Bowl win just two years ago, and retired with an 81-68 record at the school.
Things got so bad for UCF that an Orlando bar started serving free beer to customers until the next Knights victory. That hasn't happened yet. UCF's final loss of the season, a 44-3 Thanksgiving defeat to South Florida, featured some of the saddest fans we've ever seen.
A former Hawaii running back and defensive back who bounced between jobs for much of the beginning of his career, Babers latched onto Art Briles's Baylor staff in 2008, coaching wide receivers and special teams. He was hired as the head coach of FCS Eastern Illinois prior to the 2012 season, leading the Panthers to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference titles. Babers's explosive offense style was on display his second year at EIU; with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the Panthers went 8-0 in conference play and advanced to the FCS quarterfinals.
Babers took his high-powered offense to Bowling Green prior to the 2014 season, winning back-to-back MAC East titles and possessing one of the most efficient and explosive offenses in the country. Falcons quarterback Matt Johnson leads the nation with 4,465 passing yards and is second with 41 touchdowns.
Babers would join fellow former Briles assistant Philip Montgomery in the AAC. Montgomery was hired by Tulsa prior to the 2015 season, going 6-6 and getting the Golden Hurricane bowl eligible for the first time since 2012.
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/11/29/9816248/dino-babers-ucf-head-coach
