Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Tommy West, a former Clemson assistant, will return as the Tigers' head football coach, a school official said today.
The formal announcement was scheduled to be made at a news conference, sports information director Tim Bourret said.West, a Clemson assistant from 1982-89, will replace Ken Hatfield, who stepped down Wednesday. Hatfield left when the school would not extend his contract by another year despite the Tigers' 8-3 record this season.
Instead, Clemson bought out the remaining three years of Hatfield's contract for $600,000. Hatfield criticized fans and some school administrators (whom he did not identify) for what he said was their lack of support.
Despite the winning record, Clemson fans stayed away from Memorial Stadium. Attendance was down an average of 10,000 per game this year.
After Hatfield stepped down, Clemson officials said they hoped to have a new coach in time to lead the Tigers in a postseason game.
The Greenville News, citing unidentified sources, said West became the leading candidate after discussions with other candidates, including Baylor coach Chuck Reedy and Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.
All three are former Clemson assistants.
West could not immediately be reached for comment. He was 4-7 in his first season with Division I-AA Tennessee-Chattanooga.