FIU Says Butch Davis Won't Return After This Season

MIAMI (AP) — Butch Davis will not be back as FIU's football coach in 2022, and the search for a new coach will not begin until the school's hiring of a new athletic director is completed.

FIU announced the decision on Monday night. The Panthers have two games left in Davis' fifth and final season at the school.

"We wish Coach Davis well in his future endeavors," university president Mark Rosenberg said.

The move was expected, given that Davis was in the last year of his contract and that the person who hired him — athletic director Pete Garcia — stepped down last week. FIU stunned Miami 30-24 on Nov. 23, 2019, and has gone 1-16 since. The lone win was against lower-division Long Island University to open this season.

The Panthers have been outscored by an average of 23.1 points against FBS competition this season, the fifth-worst mark in the country.

"Our search is underway for a new athletic director who will hire our next football coach," Rosenberg said.

Davis is 103-73 in parts of 15 seasons as coach at Miami, North Carolina and FIU, with six bowl wins. He also spent parts of four seasons as coach of the NFL's Cleveland Browns.