Akron has fired coach Terry Bowden after seven seasons.
Athletic director Larry Williams announced Bowden's dismissal on Sunday, a day after the Zips were beaten 28-3 by South Carolina to finish 4-8. Bowden went 35-52 at Akron, including a 23-33 record in Mid-American Conference play and led the Zips to two bowl appearances.
Williams thanked Bowden for bringing respectability to the program but said after a thorough review "it is clear that we need to make a change if we are going to consistently achieve at an even higher level."
Bowden, who led Auburn to an 11-0 season in 1993 and worked for a period in TV, said it "saddens me that I will not be able to work through this with my coaches and players. But the university feels it is time to bring in new leadership and a new direction."
