Central Oklahoma fires football coach Tracy Holland

CENTRAL OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL — The UCO Bronchos will have a new football coach leading them into a new conference next fall after the firing of Tracy Holland after four seasons.

 
FROM STAFF REPORTS | Modified: December 1, 2011 at 11:14 am | Published: December 1, 2011    Comment on this article Leave a comment

EDMOND — Tracy Holland has been fired as University of Central Oklahoma football coach after going 15-29 in four seasons — three while the Division II program was on NCAA probation.

photo - Coach Tracy Holland during the University of Central Oklahoma homecoming football game against East Central University (ECU) in Edmond Saturday, October 1, 2011. Holland was fired Thursday. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, The Oklahoman <strong>Doug Hoke</strong>
Coach Tracy Holland during the University of Central Oklahoma homecoming football game against East Central University (ECU) in Edmond Saturday, October 1, 2011. Holland was fired Thursday. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, The Oklahoman Doug Hoke

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“This was a very difficult decision but one I felt needed to be made at this time in the best interest of the university and our football program,” UCO athletic director Joe Muller said in a statement. “I appreciate the effort that Tracy put into the football program over the past four years and wish him the best.”

Assistant head coach Steve Patterson will take over as interim head coach. UCO officials said the search for a replacement will begin immediately.

Holland’s first UCO team finished 7-4 and won the 2008 Lone Star North Division championship. UCO was 8-25 since. The Bronchos recently completed a second consecutive 2-9 season.

Central Oklahoma moves into the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2012. The Bronchos played this season as an NCAA Division II independent, less than a year after the school ended a long membership with the Lone Star Conference.

Holland led the UCO football program during a period in which it was on probation for NCAA violations committed under previous head coach Chuck Langston. The program is no longer on probation.

“I told our administration that it could be pretty tough in years three and four,” Holland told The Oklahoman in October when questioned about his job status. “Since then, I’ve had great support from our administration. They know how many scholarships we lost and that it would take some time to rebuild.”

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