North Texas Fires Coach

DENTON – University of North Texas Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal has announced that Dan McCarney has been relieved of his duties as head football coach effective immediately.

Offensive coordinator Mike Canales has been named the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2015 season. A national search for his replacement will begin immediately.

“This is a really a 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,” Villarreal said. “I will always cherish my relationship with coach McCarney and he’s done nothing but great things for us in his time here, but we felt like this was the best thing we needed to do for the program moving forward.”

“The people here at North Texas are great, we couldn’t have been embraced or supported any better during my time here,” said McCarney. “Obviously we have been really struggling lately, and Rick (Villarreal) felt it was in his best interests with the University and the athletic department and the football program to go another direction. I will always be grateful to President Rawlins, Rick and President Smatresk for this opportunity.”

McCarney was 22-32 in his four plus seasons with North Texas and led the Mean Green to the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl Championship.