TCU's Justin Fuente Is New Memphis Head Football Coach

by Jeremy Mauss on Dec 8, 2011 1:08 PM PST in TCU Football

TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente is to become the youngest head coach in all of FBS at the young coaching age of 35. Last night it was being reported that Fuente would leave TCU and take over the Memphis Tigers. TCU head coach Gary Patterson confirmed the news last night and believes Fuente will do a good job at Memphis.

Fuente became the co-offensive coordinator in 2009 and had great results:

In his first season as co-offensive coordinator, Fuente helped direct a record-setting 2009 TCU attack. The Horned Frogs established single-season school marks for points scored (498), total offense (5,937 yards), touchdowns (65) and first downs (311).

TCU ranked fifth nationally in rushing offense (239.5 yards per game) and scoring (38.3 points per game) while placing seventh in total offense (456.7 yards per game) and eighth in passing efficiency (154.1).

It does help having Andy Dalton anchoring the offense but even this year with Dalton gone and Casey Pachall at the helm the TCU offense still put up 41.7 points per game which was good for second in the Mountain West and seventh in the nation.

Now he takes on a Memphis program that has gone 5-32 over the past three years and has not had a winning record since 2005. Outside of a three-year stretch from 2003-05 where Memphis went 24-13, attended three bowl games and was ranked No. 25 in the 2004 season. Outside of those years Memphis has been a college football wasteland.

If Fuente can recruit and being in a conference without Houston and up-and-coming SMU there are chances for him to rebuild this program. Memphis will need to be patient this time around, their last head coach Larry Porter was only given two years which is not enough time.

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Any word on who will be taking over

at Hawaii and Fresno State?

Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn't do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another.---Vince Lombardi

by bluesyourdaddy on Dec 8, 2011 2:09 PM PST reply actions

I need to look

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by Jeremy Mauss on Dec 8, 2011 3:36 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

On CSU front

Denver Post is reporting that Gary Crowton is interested and has called CSU. He’s currently the OC in Maryland, but was the HC at LaTech and BYU in the past. Has also been the OC in Oregon, LSU, and with the Chicago Bears. Has a history in Fort Collins where he started school and was a backup player in the 70’s before moving on to BYU for his degree, where is also was a grad assistant under LaVell Edwards.

by cokolman on Dec 9, 2011 7:33 AM PST up reply actions

interesting

thanks for the heads up.

Living in Utah he was hated at BYU, partly because he jerked around a really good QB recruit who left to UCLA and he was lax on punishment. Also, every job he has had he was basically run out of town and/or went downhill after his first year.

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by Jeremy Mauss on Dec 9, 2011 11:06 AM PST up reply actions