The calendar didn’t make it to October before the first FBS coach of the season was fired.
Florida International has parted ways with Ron Turner. The Panthers lost 53-14 to Central Florida on Saturday to fall to 0-4. UCF was 0-12 in 2015 and is coached by former Oregon assistant Scott Frost.
Turner won 25 percent of his games at FIU with a record of 10-30. The team improved in each of his three seasons after going 1-11 in his first year (2013). But with a winless start, topping 2015’s 5-7 record doesn’t look too realistic in 2016.
“I want to thank Coach Turner for his contributions to the FIU football program, most importantly his commitment to academics and community service,” FIU Executive Director of Sports of Entertainment Pete Garcia said
He took over after the team parted ways with former head coach Mario Cristobal, now an Alabama assistant. Cristobal took the Panthers to bowls in 2010 and 2011 but was fired after a 3-9 season in 2012. FIU’s football program began in 2004 and moved to Conference-USA in 2013.
Turner came to FIU after serving as an assistant in the NFL since 2005. Turner became the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator that season after he was the head coach at Illinois for eight seasons. From 1997-2004, Turner was 35-57 as Illinois’ coach. His tenure included a 10-2 Sugar Bowl season in 2001 and just one other season where the Illini finished above .500.
Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Ron Cooper has been named the team’s interim head coach.
A national search for a new head coach “will begin at the appropriate time,” the school said.
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