Football coach Chuck Stobart's three straight winning seasons weren't enough for Memphis State.
University officials, worried about falling attendance and the team's general lackluster effect on local sports fans, announced Stobart's firing Wednesday.Stobart, 60, led the Tigers to their third 6-5 season in a row this year. He coached the University of Utah from 1982-84.
He had two years remaining on a four-year contract, but school officials said he was immediately relieved of coaching duties.
"We asked coach Stobart to resign, and he's considering what he wants to do with that," university president Lane Rawlins said. "We're extremely appreciative of what he's done and want it to be recognized, but we feel given the declining interest in football here and the fact we're losing money on it that part of the solution probably involves new leadership."