ESPN’s Joe Schad is reporting that the University of Memphis has fired Larry Porter after only two seasons as the Tigers’ football coach.
Porter, a former Tigers’ running back, was hired in 2009 to replace Tommy West after he’d spent five years as an assistant to Les Miles at LSU.
In his two seasons at Memphis, Porter went 3-21 overall and 1-15 in Conference USA play. The Tigers lost two games this season in which they had big fourth quarter leads.
Memphis led UAB, 35-17, entering the fourth quarter before losing, 41-35, and was ahead of Marshall, 22-10 in the fourth quarter, before losing, 23-22.
While the Tigers have never drawn much support, attendance at home games this season reached an all time low.
The estimated crowd against UAB was 5,000 and attendance for the Marshall game was believed to be no more than 2,500.
Larry Porter didn't get many opportunities to celebrate wins at Memphis.
Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson will now have the unenviable task of finding a coach to take over one of college football’s worst programs.
Over the past three years, Memphis has compiled a 5-31 record and has only two wins against Conference USA foes.
Of the Tigers’ five wins, two have come against teams playing in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division 1-AA.
In his press release announcing Porter’s termination, Johnson said the Tiger’s lack of improvement led to the school’s decision.
“The expectations for the 2011 season were to see marked improvement in the team,” Johnson said. “Now that the season has been completed, I do not feel that we have seen enough improvement for the future to justify keeping this football staff in place for another year.”
Johnson and University of Memphis president Shirley Raines will hold a press conference on Monday to discuss the search for a new football coach.
Unless there is a dramatic shift in how the school approaches the process, it’s doubtful Memphis can attract or afford a top level coach to take the job.
The outcome of the university’s search for a new coach will likely result in the hiring of an assistant from another school’s staff or perhaps a former head coach.
