Tim DeRuyter was scheduled to be introduced as the new Fresno State football coach on Wednesday during an afternoon press conference. DeRuyter is currently serving as the Texas A&M interim coach and will lead the Aggies against Northwestern in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. He had been the defensive coordinator at A&M for the last two seasons.
Tim DeRuyter, Next Fresno State Coach, Will Work Texas A&M Bowl Game
Fresno State confirms Tim DeRuyter is its new head coach. Introductory press conference at 4 ET today.
— CollegeFootballTalk (@CFTalk) December 14, 2011
DeRuyter will be replacing Pat Hill, who was fired after going 4-9 with the Bulldogs this year. Fresno State missed out on a bowl game for just fourth time during his 15 years there. The bigger problem, though, was that the program seemed to stagnate under Hill, who at one point seemed to have the Bulldogs pointed toward a Boise State-esque existence.
After ending the 2004 season ranked No. 22 in the AP poll and winning the MPC Computers, the Bulldogs went backward. They’ve only won one bowl since then and finished no higher than third in the Western Athletic Conference in any season since then.
DeRuyter will clearly be expected to get the program headed the other way. Among the more interesting subplots of his coaching tenure will be annual games against Air Force, where he was a player and coach, most recently in 2009.
For more on the Mountain West, be sure to check out Mountain West Connection.
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