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The Charlotte 49ers parted ways with head football coach Biff Poggi following a 59-24 loss to American Athletic Conference rival South Florida. Across 22 games with the program, his team went 6-16.
His most recent defeat was the fourth straight for the 49ers, with three of those contests being decided by 25 points or more. Charlotte is now 3-7 following a 3-3 start.
It’s been tough sledding for Poggi, who took over at the school fresh off of three straight losing campaigns. He was unable to improve the win total last year with his team going 3-9, though they did hang tough with the likes of Florida, SMU, and Memphis.
Improvement was expected in Year 2. Unfortunately, it never came. The 49ers were blown out by James Madison, UNC, and Indiana in the first month of the season. While injuries played a part, the results weren’t good enough for Charlotte brass.
The recent blowout losses only fanned flames of his potential firing, which came on Monday. It capped an interesting tenure for the former Michigan associate head coach.
This year alone, his team made headlines for a number of different reasons. Prior to the season opener, he was heard saying that half of his starting lineup would be unable to suit up for Game 1. This, coming after he went off on reporters for not giving his program enough positive attention in AAC media days.
When his squad did get healthy, off the field issues reared their head. Poggi, along with his defensive coordinator, attacked the fanbase for a lack of support after one of those three victories.
While he didn’t always believe college football spectators were supportive of his coaching, it’s evident that his team feels a different way.
Biff Poggi was greeted to a standing ovation by Charlotte football players.
The now-fired head coach showed up to practice on Tuesday. His players welcomed him back with open arms!
Following his dismissal as head coach, Biff Poggi rolls up to @CharlotteFTBL practice this morning. pic.twitter.com/8GxwwrvVFC
— Cameron Williams (@camwillsports) November 19, 2024
His team loved playing for him. He has an infectious energy about him. The results on the field just weren’t good enough.
The 49ers will face off next against FAU, who also fired its coach over the weekend, as they look to pick up their fourth win of the season. It looks like Poggi will be rooting his guys on despite the dismissal.