DENTON, Texas (AP) — North Texas fired coach Dan McCarney on Saturday after the winless Mean Green lost their homecoming game 66-7 to Portland State of the FCS.
McCarney was 22-32 in four-plus seasons with North Texas, including a victory in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against UNLV after the 2013 season. After that 9-4 season, the Mean Green slipped to 4-8 last year. North Texas (0-5) hit bottom on Saturday at home against Portland State.
Athletic director Rick Villareal announced the move in a news release about an hour after the game.
“This is a really tough decision, but after a complete evaluation of the University of North Texas football program we have decided to make a change at head coach,” Villareal said in a statement.
McCarney was head coach at Iowa State for 12 seasons, leading the Cyclones to five bowl appearances. He was let go after the 2006 season and spent three seasons as an assistant for Urban Meyer at Florida from 2008-10.
“The people here at North Texas are great, we couldn’t be have been embraced or supported any better during my time here,” McCarney said in a statement.