It wouldn’t be a bad idea for Western Michigan athletic director Kathy Beauregard to give Skip Holtz a call to gauge his interest on the head football coaching job.
Holtz was fired as head coach of South Florida over the weekend after a three-year run with the final two seasons nothing short of a disaster … that is after the 2011 season-opening win over Notre Dame.
Beauregard fired Bill Cubit as WMU’s head coach last month. Cubit guided the Broncos to three bowl games and a 31-13 home record, but they failed to win the MAC West title and earn a spot in the championship game at Ford Field. The Broncos’ last played in the title game in 2000.
Holtz, 48, proved he could win at the mid-major level, leading East Carolina to consecutive Conference USA championship game wins in 2008 and 2009 before moving on to South Florida.
In fact, East Carolina defeated Boise State in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl before pulling off upsets against Virginia Tech and West Virginia to start the 2008 season. In 2009, it lost in overtime to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.
Beauregard knows she has to ante up to get her next head coach, possibly as much as $500,000 a year. Well, Holtz walked away with a $2.5 million buyout.
Beauregard better give Holtz a call in a hurry because you know he’s probably close to the top of Northern Illinois’ list with Dave Doeren moving on to North Carolina State.
Holtz’s father, Lou is familiar with the MAC, attending Kent State before leading Notre Dame to its last national title in 1988.
Beauregard said she hopes to fill the position by the end of the year.
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