DENVER – Steve Addazio is out as Colorado State’s head football coach after 16 games, multiple sources tell Denver7.
The coach was fired Thursday after a 3-9 season in which the Rams went 2-6 in Mountain West Conference Play. In his 16 games at CSU, Addazio compiled a 4-12 record. ESPN first reported news of Addazio’s ouster Thursday.
He now owns a 61-67 overall head coaching record in 11 seasons at Temple, Boston College and Colorado State.
The university confirmed Thursday morning it had fired Addazio and that it would be hiring a national search firm to help Athletic Director Joe Parker pick his replacement.
"The decision we have made today is not one we take lightly," Parker said. "I am grateful to Steve Addazio and his coaching staff for their steadfast commitment to our student-athletes, both athletically and academically, to developing men of high character, and reinvigorating our locker room with a culture of toughness and accountability. However, after a thorough review of where our program stands today and our outlook for the future, looking at the totality of factors, I felt this was a necessary step."
Parker said he was “confident” CSU would find a coach who can bring the team to compete for conference championships and bowl games each year.
“Our student-athletes deserve that, our fans deserve that, our community deserves that, and our University deserves that,” Parker said in a statement. “We live in one of America’s best cities, serve a world-class university and I am confident we will find a stalwart leader who can meet those expectations head on.”
The Rams started the season 3-3 and went on to lose their last six games. Addazio was ejected in his final game as CSU’s coach, a 52-10 loss to Nevada, after getting two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The Rams trailed 31-0 at halftime, and much of the home crowd had left.
Addazio had been under contract through 2024 and was set to earn $1.6 million next year.
He was hired after CSU and Mike Bobo parted ways in 2019 and coached through last year’s COVID-shortened season.
But CSU opened the year with losses to South Dakota State and Vanderbilt before a win over Toledo and a 10-point loss to ranked Iowa. The Rams’ three wins this season were at Toledo, at home against San Jose State and at New Mexico in Albuquerque.
CSU said Senior Associate Head Coach Brian White will serve as interim head coach while the university picks a replacement for Addazio.
This is a developing news story and will be updated.
