The Football Championship Subdivision regular season came to a close on Monday, which means the coaching carousel got rolling on Monday with five schools making changes.
At the top of the list is Youngstown State, a program that claims four national championships. ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reported Monday evening that head coach Eric Wolford would not return after five seasons on the job and a 31-25 record. Wolford posted four winning campaigns in his five seasons, but did not qualify for the FCS playoffs. Cruelly, the Penguins came within a field goal of making the playoffs this season. They lost 27-24 in overtime to Indiana State on Nov. 15; both teams finished 7-4, and Indiana State earned an at-large berth in the 24-team bracket, while Youngstown State did not.
Jim Tressel is the president of Youngstown State University, and FootballScoop.com posted Monday that the next coach will likely have ties to the former Youngstown and Ohio State coach.
Next, Alabama State announced that it would not renew the contract of head coach Reggie Barlow, and that associate head coach/offensive line coach Antonio Bradford had been named interim head coach. Barlow went 49-42 in eight seasons at the school, and 7-5 this season.
“We thank coach Barlow for his contributions to Alabama State University, as a student-athlete, assistant coach, and head coach,” Alabama State president Gwendolyn Boyd said in a statement.
At Norfolk State, head coach Pete Adrian announced his retirement after 10 seasons at the school. His 54 wins are the second-most in Norfolk State history.
“My time at Norfolk State has been terrific,” Adrian said in a release. “The players and the administration have been great to work with, and I will miss them very much. But after 46 years in coaching, I feel like I need to spend more time with my family while I can. I am very grateful for the opportunity to coach at NSU and to the fans and University administration for the support they have given me.”
Virginia Military Institute announced it would not extend the contract of head coach Sparky Woods, who compiled a 17-62 mark in seven seasons.
“Jean Ann and I thank VMI for the opportunity I’ve had to serve as head football coach,” Woods said in the announcement. “It’s been a blessing to know and work with the exemplary cadet-athletes who have been part of our program. They have excelled as cadets, as students, and as citizens, and I am proud of them and the progress we have made together. I also thank our staff for their focus and tireless energy. We leave this program with the belief that we have built a solid foundation for the future, and we wish VMI football the best.”
Finally, Wagner revealed that head coach Walt Hameline will step down and give way to associate head coach/offensive coordinator Jason Houghtaling.
“To be the head coach here at Wagner for almost 35 years, it’s been an outstanding experience. It truly has been an honor to have coached so many outstanding student-athletes and to have worked with so many excellent coaches,” said Hameline. “I’ve had great support from our president and our board of trustees through the years, have worked with tremendous administrators here on staff, and look forward to continuing to lead the Seahawk athletic department.”
Hameline retires ranking 49th on the NCAA’s all-time wins list 223 victories. He will remain on as athletics director, a post he has held since 1981.
Additionally, Missouri State head coach Terry Allen was let go on Sunday after nine seasons on the job.