The up-and-down tenure of John L. Smith at Michigan State is coming to an end.
Smith will finish the season as the struggling Spartans' head coach, but he won't be back in 2007.
“What we asked John L. Smith to do when he got here, he has done a lot of it,” Athletic Director Ron Mason said yesterday. “It hasn't shown up on the field like we wanted.”
The firing came as no surprise. The Spartans are 22-23 under Smith and have been maddeningly inconsistent.
Smith had been under pressure at MSU and some fans were calling for his departure the past few years.
Mason said he believes the job will be attractive to a wide variety of coaches. Some reports indicate Steve Mariccui, who last coached the Detroit Lions in 2005, may be among those interested.
The Spartans play host to Purdue on Saturday. They finish the season at home against Minnesota and on the road at Penn State.
Michigan State said it will honor the last two years of Smith's six-year contract, paying him about $3.1 million.
No. 14 Boise State wins
Jared Zabransky threw with efficiency, Ian Johnson found the end zone twice and No. 14 Boise State dominated Fresno State on a national stage last night. Zabransky passed for 180 yards and three touchdowns, Johnson rushed for 136 yards and the Broncos routed the visiting Bulldogs 45-21.
NCAA slaps Sooners
The NCAA ruled that two former Oklahoma players cannot play this season and will lose a year of eligibility for accepting payment for more work than they performed at a car dealership. J.D. Quinn, who transferred to Division I-AA Montana, must pay $8,137 to the charity of his choice. Rhett Bomar, who transferred to Sam Houston State, must pay $7,407.
