Nicholls State, located in Thibodaux, La., and a member of the FCS’s Southland Conference, is off to an 0-3 start this season, but that’s not the reason the school says head coach Charlie Stubbs resigned on Sunday. Citing unspecified “major health reasons”, Nicholls State president Bruce Murphy has accepted Stubbs’ resignation.
“For more than four years I have given my best effort to create the climate of change needed to support a winning football program here at Nicholls,” Stubbs said in a statement. “During the past year I have been diagnosed with major health issues, and I know that now is the time to step aside and focus my efforts on my health.”
The school had planned to wait until Monday to make the announcement, but word leaked out early through Mike Detillier of WWL in New Orleans.
Sadly, Stubbs waited 54 years to get his first head job and was forced to walk away after only four years at age 58. The longtime assistant was 10-38 as the head coach of the Colonels. The high point of Stubbs’ tenure had to be the 27-23 win over Western Michigan on Sept. 7, 2013, the school’s third win over an FBS opponent.
Stubbs is the second Division I head coach to resign this week, following Monday’s announcement that June Jones had stepped down at SMU.
Associate head coach/special teams coordinator/running backs coach Chuck Hepola will take over head coaching duties until a replacement is hired. Nicholls State visits North Texas on Saturday.