Nevada announces it is ‘mutually parting ways’ with head coach Brian Polian

We’ve got ourselves another head coaching vacancy on the college football market. On Sunday afternoon, Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman reported that Nevada is parting ways with head coach Brian Polian after just four seasons.

Nevada confirmed the news on Sunday, and added that the two parties have decided to “mutually part ways.” Below is an excerpt from the full release, courtesy of Mountain West Connection.

“Coach Polian will leave an important legacy of academic excellence over four years while also bringing the Fremont Cannon home in 2016,” said athletics director Doug Knuth. “I am proud of our team and couldn’t be happier for the way they ended a tough season. The future is very bright for Wolf Pack football and I’m excited to watch and cheer for the team as they hunt for a championship in 2017.

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“This decision is about finding a new head coach who will help us win a championship, and who will continue to build and strengthen relationships within our department, our campus, our alumni and our great community. The support from those constituencies is vital to the success of building a championship program.”

Polian also released a statement about stepping aside as the Nevada head coach.

“I appreciate the opportunity that I was given by President Johnson and the University of Nevada four years ago. I felt, and continue to feel, that we were building a solid foundation for this program. However, this season was fraught with adversity and in the end, we did not win enough games. Like every coach, I understand that this is a business. I wish we would have produced better results in 2016.

Polian’s overall record as the Wolfpack’s head coach was 23-27. Prior to getting hired at Nevada in 2013, he was on Notre Dame’s staff from 2005-09, and also made stops at Stanford and Texas A&M.

In Polian’s first year, he led the Wolfpack to a 4-8 season. The team then improved with back-to-back 7-6 seasons in 2014 and 2015 that included with consecutive bowl appearances to the Arizona Bowl and New Orleans Bowl, respectively. Mountain West Connection mentions how the timing is a little unexpected, given Polian’s year that was still left on his contract.

Seeing Polian and the school mutually agree to part ways is odd given that he is not retiring and that there was still a year left on his contract. However, one could not say this is not a shock as many were not happy about this season’s team which regressed while playing in a West Division that has only one bowl eligible team in 2016, and overall his Nevada coaching career was average at best.

We will continue to update this story as it develops.