Texas State fires football coach Jake Spavital: What went wrong and whats next
Texas State fired head football coach Jake Spavital after four seasons, the school announced on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Texas State ended its season with a 41-13 loss to Louisiana at home Saturday.
- Spavital went 13-35 overall with zero winning seasons. His teams went 3-9, 2-10, 4-8 and 4-8.
- The Bobcats have not had a winning season since 2014, when they went 7-5 under coach Dennis Franchione, and have not made a bowl game.
- Spavital is owed 50 percent of his remaining salary, per his contract. His initial five-year deal that ran through Nov. 2023, which has no offset clause, was paying him $800K per year, so Texas State owes him $400K.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What went wrong for Spavital
Spavital went all-in on transfers over the last two seasons. The 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes included just four high school players, seven junior college players and 35 transfers as Spavital tried to build depth and get a quick fix. It didn’t work out, and it upset a lot of Texas high school coaches, an important constituency. Texas State is also behind in facilities, often using San Marcos High School as an indoor practice field. — Vannini
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Who should Texas State target as its next head coach?
The next coach will have to rebuild those relationships with the high school community. It also wouldn’t be surprising if Texas State leans toward someone with head coaching experience. Potential names to watch for the job include Incarnate Word’s G.J. Kinne, Washington State offensive coordinator Eric Morris and Sam Houston head coach KC Keeler, among other possibilities. — Vannini
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(Photo: John Glaser / USA Today)
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