After posting a 6-16 record as FAU head coach, the Owls have fired Tom Herman and have named Chad Lunsford their interim head coach. Herman is expected to get $4 million as he had three years left on his contract.
When Herman was hired prior to the 2023 season, it appeared like FAU hit the jackpot. Herman came in having been the head coach for both Houston and Texas. However, things didn’t turn out as expected and now FAU is moving on before Herman had even completed two full seasons in Boca Raton.
It comes to no one’s surprise that Herman was fired. The 49-year-old notched just three conference wins during his tenure. The American Athletic Conference (AAC) is no unstoppable force where that should be acceptable. Speaking of the AAC, five of the 14 teams in the conference have fired their head coach this season. In addition to Herman, Charlotte fired Biff Poggi, Temple fired Stan Drayton, ECU fired Mike Houston, and Rice fired Mike Bloomgren. It seems like no head coach is safe in the AAC.
As far as FAU goes, the Owls are in a perfect location to have success. First of all, who doesn’t want to be in Boca Raton? The upscale living and beautiful beaches make it a perfect setting for all kinds of people, including coaches, players, fans, and donors. FAU is also in a perfect location because of recruiting. South Florida is known for its top high school football players, and recruits have the chance to stay home if they commit to FAU. However, that has been somewhat of a struggle over the past few seasons as FAU has to compete with teams like Miami, UCF, USF, Florida, and FSU to get commits.
Lunsford will now take over as interim coach. The former Georgia Southern head coach was FAU’s tight ends coach, special teams coordinator, and associate head coach this season. As head coach at Georgia Southern (2018-2021), Lunsford went 26-10 with three bowl game appearances.
FAU will have two remaining games – one at home against Charlotte, and one on the road against Tulsa. If the Owls can win both games they will finish at 4-8, the same record that FAU had last season.
In terms of what will happen this offseason, FAU will look for a new head coach. The only problem is that dozens of other teams will also be looking for new coaches.
News at the Defensive Coordinator Position
You don’t see this happen very often. Just a week ago, FAU fired defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni. However, just a few hours after Herman is out as FAU head coach, Bellantoni was rehired under the interim staff. While it hasn’t been made clear why Bellantoni was fired in the first place, it seems like it was a decision solely made by Herman.
FAU Head Coaches Over the Years
| Coach | Tenure | Seasons | Record | Winning % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Schnellenberger | 2001–2011 | 11 | 58–74 | .439 |
| Carl Pelini | 2012–2013 | 2 | 5–15 | .250 |
| Brian Wright (interim) | 2013 | 1 | 4–0 | 1.000 |
| Charlie Partridge | 2014–2016 | 3 | 9–27 | .250 |
| Lane Kiffin | 2017–2019 | 3 | 26–13 | .667 |
| Glenn Spencer (interim) | 2019 | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| Willie Taggart | 2020–2022 | 3 | 15–18 | .455 |
| Tom Herman | 2023–2024 | 2 | 6-16 | .273 |