MEMPHIS HIRES FUENTE FROM TCU FOR HEAD COACH

MrMustang1965 · Post by **MrMustang1965** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:27 pm

TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente has been hired as head coach of the Memphis Tigers.

smupony94 · Post by **smupony94** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:28 pm

skyscraper · Post by **skyscraper** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:28 pm

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... um=twitter

TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente, whose name hadn't surfaced from the time the University of Memphis began its search for a new football coach more than a week ago, will be introduced as the program's 23rd football coach Thursday at a noon press conference at the U of M, according to sources familiar with the process.

Fuente, 35, a 1999 Murray State graduate, will replace Larry Porter, who was fired after two seasons at his alma mater. Porter went 3-21 in his two seasons and was dismissed after the team's 44-7 Conference USA loss at Southern Miss Nov. 26.

Fuente was chosen over Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who was reportedly the leading candidate for the job late Tuesday. McElwain has spent the past four seasons on Nick Saban's staff and impressed the leaders of the search committee during an interview earlier this week in New York.

SMU1523 · Post by **SMU1523** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:30 pm

He was brought up as a potential candidate for the recently vacant SMU HC opening on the Coop & Nate Show, ESPN 103.3...

LakeHighlandsPony · Post by **LakeHighlandsPony** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:19 pm

Was this guy a QB at OU?

skyscraper · Post by **skyscraper** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:20 pm

Nick will be upset. Was mentioning Fuente earlier today for SMU.

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:20 pm

Thought he would be a candidate...tcu is upset he is leaving...

SMU 86 · Post by **SMU 86** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:21 pm

We play them next year so we will see how he does.

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:22 pm

Memphis has a long road to be respectable...they need to make a committment to football like they do in basketball

leopold · Post by **leopold** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:36 pm

LakeHighlandsPony wrote:Was this guy a QB at OU?

Yup.

It's funny. The QB coach for the Pitt Steelers, who was at one time the OC under Tommy West at UM, said publically that he was interested in the job. He was very qualified, had been to Memphis, and was sporting a Super Bowl ring.

He was known to have talked to the school and would have been an obvious candidate only his name stopped showing up. Rumor was he wanted some guarantees for the program before he took the job, and Memphis wouldn't budge.

Methinks Memphis found someone to take the job with no real improvements to the program:

In a word, a sucker.

sbsmith · Post by **sbsmith** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:54 pm

leopold wrote:
LakeHighlandsPony wrote:Was this guy a QB at OU?

Yup.

It's funny. The QB coach for the Pitt Steelers, who was at one time the OC under Tommy West at UM, said publically that he was interested in the job. He was very qualified, had been to Memphis, and was sporting a Super Bowl ring.

He was known to have talked to the school and would have been an obvious candidate only his name stopped showing up. Rumor was he wanted some guarantees for the program before he took the job, and Memphis wouldn't budge.

Methinks Memphis found someone to take the job with no real improvements to the program:

In a word, a sucker.

That's too bad, don't they have FedEx money?

reddevil · Post by **reddevil** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:02 pm

Fuente is a good hire.

leopold · Post by **leopold** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:19 pm

They kinda sorta have FedEx money.

FedEx has donated alot of money to the buisiness school to help train certain positions that the company needs, they have donated money to put their name on the NBA basketball arena the U of M plays in, and they have offered to become a major sponser of the Big East in return for Memphis' inclusion and major promotion of their company in a lot of big cities; i.e., they have been smart about their donations and have always gotten something back in return.

FedEx does a lot of the major lifting around the city of Memphis, but they don't simply hand over money arbitrarily. I honestly think that if Memphis ever showed any vision then they would have a sponser, but until that happens I think they are, for the most part, on their own.

Kynd Tulsa Phan · Post by **Kynd Tulsa Phan** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:22 am

MOUNT USA ON THE RISE!!!!!

redpony · Post by **redpony** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:07 am

Good hire by Memphis. I hope he does well.

GO PONIES!!!