MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Middle Tennessee State University has fired its long-tenured football coach Rick Stockstill.
"This is one of the most difficult days in my tenure, but one I feel is necessary in our aspiration to compete and win championships," said MTSU Athletic Director Chris Massaro. "I appreciate everything Rick, his wife Sara, and their family have done the last 18 years for MTSU Athletics, our football program, and, more importantly, our student-athletes. Because of his leadership, our student-athletes have performed at a high level in the classroom, have dedicated time and energy to supporting our community and have given us countless hours of dedication to being successful on the football field. I want to thank Coach Stockstill for his professionalism, character and dedication, and wish him well in his future endeavors."
MTSU said a national search will happen immediately.
Stockstill has been the head coach of the university since 2005. He renewed his contract as the football coach last year. That contract was for around $10 million with a potential $5 million payout. He had the fourth-longest tenure in FBS. Only Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy and Utah's Kyle Wittingham have been on their school's sidelines longer.
The Blue Raiders finished 4-8 this season. Stockstill was 113-111 in 18 seasons, winning one Sun Belt title, a CUSA division title and 10 bowl games. They entered the season with high expectations after eight wins and a Hawaii Bowl championship in 2022, but struggled early against a difficult schedule and never found their footing in a new-look Conference USA.
Middle went just 3-5 in conference play, and even despite back-to-back wins over FIU and UTEP in November, Saturday's 23-20 loss to a three-win Sam Houston team was the final straw for school administration.
Stockstill won the Sun Belt title in his first season at Middle Tennessee in 2006, and successfully guided the Blue Raiders into Conference USA, taking them to eight total bowl appearances.
But the Blue Raiders failed to win a conference championship in an evolving league that had seen its membership almost completely turnover.
Middle's best CUSA season came in 2018 when it went 7-1 in league play with Stockstill's son Brent at quarterback. But the Blue Raiders lost at home to UAB in the conference championship game and then lost the New Orleans Bowl.
