College Football Preview: MWC offseason moves
Overall, the Mountain West conference had a good football season last year. The teams combined for a 4-1 bowl record, with the only loss being TCU’s heartbreaking loss to fourth ranked Boise State Broncos. To further illustrate the conference’s success last year, three of its nine times ended the season ranked in the top 20.
Since the conference success, one would not expect a lot of coaching changes, and there was only one. The only coaching change in the conference was by the UNLV Rebels, who ended the season in sixth place with a 3-5 SU conference record.
They fired Head Coach Mike Stanford and replaced him with Bobby Hauck, who had an 80-17 record in 7 seasons at Montana taking the Grizzlies to three Football Champion Series (formally 1-AA) championship games. Hauck brought his staff from Montana with him, as the Rebels overhauled their coaching staff.
The New Mexico Lobos finished the year with a 1-11 record, with their only win coming against their conference foes Colorado State Rams. The Lobos felt that they did not need to make a change, as last year was the first year for Head Coach Mike Locksley.
San Diego State also did not make a change, despite a 4-8 record and not making a bowl game for the 11th year in a row. Last year was the first year for Head Coach Brady Hoke and the Aztecs did show some signs of improving.
Colorado State only won 3 games last year, and were winless in conference play, but they did not make any changes because Head Coach Steve Fairchild guided them to a bowl win in 2008, and he has a chance to right the ship.
The other teams in the Mountain West Conference: TCU, BYU, Utah, Air Force, and Wyoming all went to bowl games and have to be pleased with their program.
