Kent State is looking for a new coach.
The school said Wednesday afternoon that it wouldn’t renew the contract of coach Paul Haynes. His departure from the program had been reported earlier Wednesday.
“Making a coaching change is never easy,” Kent State athletic director Joel Nielson said in a statement. “As an alum, Paul gave his all for this university and to Golden Flashes football, and moved the program forward in many ways. We thank Paul and his family for their service and commitment to Kent State student-athletes.”
Haynes’ team finished 2017 with a 2-10 record after a loss to Akron on Tuesday night. In those five seasons, Haynes compiled a 14-45 record. His best season came in his first, which was a 4-8 campaign.
Haynes, a former player at the school, succeeded Darrell Hazell, who spent two seasons at Kent State and went 11-3 in his second season. He then left for Purdue — and is no longer the Boilermakers’ coach.
Kent State is one of the toughest FBS jobs in the country. That 11-3 season in 2012 was the first time the program had finished above .500 since a 6-5 season under now-Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees in 2001. The GoDaddy Bowl appearance the 2012 team made was the school’s first bowl appearance since a loss in the Tangerine Bowl after the 1972 season.
Haynes took a leave from the team at the beginning of the 2017 season after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell served as the team’s interim coach.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
