Arizona coach John Mackovic was fired Sunday, five games into the third season of his tumultuous tenure in Tucson.
Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz will take over as interim coach for the rest of the season. A national search was planned to find a successor for next season.
Athletic director Jim Livengood announced the firing at a news conference in Tucson.
“John is a good man and a good coach and a good friend,” Livengood said. “It’s not a decision that was made without an awful lot of thought put into it.”
Livengood offered no specific reason for the firing.
Mackovic, who turns 60 Wednesday, survived a player mutiny last season after promising to do a better job of communicating. But this year’s team lost to LSU, Oregon and Purdue by a combined score of 166-30.
The Wildcats (1-4) played their best game of the season in a 13-10 overtime home loss to No. 19 TCU on Saturday night, but pressure from boosters and unrest among the players led Livengood to let the coach go.
Mackovic, who coached at Illinois from 1988-91 and posted a 30-16-1 record in four seasons before leaving for Texas, was 10-18 at Arizona. The Wildcats currently have lost 12 consecutive Pac-10 home games.
Player still critical
Wisconsin-Eau Claire linebacker Justin Greenwood, 22, remained in critical condition Sunday at a St. Paul, Minn., hospital, where he was flown after making helmet-to-helmet contact with another player while covering a kickoff in Saturday’s game against UW-River Falls. He had a blood clot on the brain.
TEAM, SYNOPSIS
Washington State Cougars
DL Jeremy Williams summed up incentive for 55-16 upset of then-No. 10 Oregon: “We were watching `SportsCenter’ and the talk was all about them.”
Michigan State Spartans
LB Seth Mitchell on Spartans using 3 turnovers to beat Iowa: “If you win the turnover battle and win more big plays, you are going to win the game.”
Michigan Wolverines
Despite TDs on punt return and pass reception, WR Steve Breaston bemoaned Saturday’s effort: “I really have a lot to learn. I thought I had a bad game.”
Southern Cal Trojans
DT Shaun Cody on Cal’s overtime triumph: “They came out and punched us in the mouth. We didn’t have an answer for anything. … We were fooled.”
Connecticut Huskies
Leading RB Terry Caulley to have surgery Wednesday to repair torn ACL in right knee, ending his season after rushing for 601 yards and 8 TDs in 4 games.
Louisiana State Tigers
Team has week off to savor 1st 5-0 start in 30 years. “You’ve got to give something to the players for going 5-0,” coach Nick Saban said.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Six players will miss Saturday’s game at Rutgers because of injuries, including DT Jason Lallis and WR Richard Johnson, who have knee problems.
Tennessee Volunteers
Coach Phillip Fulmer on OT win vs. South Carolina: “Sometimes you have to win games like this, where in a lot of places you were outplayed.”
