WT Fires Football Coach, Begins Search for Replacement

West Texas A&M Director of Athletics Michael McBroom announced Friday he has released head football coach Mike Nesbitt of his duties, effective immediately.

“After careful consideration and evaluation of our football program, I have made the decision to release Mike Nesbitt as head coach,” McBroom said. “This was a difficult decision, as Mike is a great coach and an even better person. He and his family have been an integral part of WT in many different capacities, and his mentoring of his players has been second to none. To his credit, Mike inherited an extremely difficult situation and led the football program admirably with the utmost professionalism. He put us on a path to a more stable program and one that operates within the mission of our great university.”

Nesbitt was released following a 6-5 campaign in 2016 with a 5-4 mark in Lone Star Conference play. The Buffs finished the season with a 37-30 win in overtime at Western New Mexico last Saturday. He went 25-17 in his four years as head coach at West Texas A&M.

After returning to WT in the spring of 2013 as the offensive line coach, Nesbitt took over the interim head coaching duties in August, 2013, and was named head coach following the 2013 season. The Buffs went 11-3 in 2013 with a berth in the national quarterfinal round of the NCAA playoffs. WT was 6-5 in 2014, but had four wins vacated due to NCAA violations, and finished 6-4 in 2015.

“Simply stated, this is a results-oriented business and we have not met the expectations I have for the football program in terms of wins,” McBroom added. “I will begin a national search immediately. Our next head coach will be charged with returning our football program to the national playoffs, achieving the team GPA and graduation rates consistent with the athletic department mission and re-engaging our great fan base as we move into a new era of WT football.”