Juan Villa / Collegian File Photo

1, 2, 3 coaches leave following 7-6 season

The 2009 offseason will prove to be one of the most difficult and challenging of coach Pat Hill̢۪s 13 seasons at Fresno State.

The 2008 season did little to excite Bulldogs fans, and the departure of key players like quarterback Tom Brandstater and defensive tackle Jon Monga will force the Bulldog team to rebuild for the fall.

Hill will be left with the tall task of renovating a program that disappointed in 2008 — and will have to start without an offensive or defensive coordinator.

Nussmeier heads to Washington

For the fifth time in five years, the program will again search for an offensive coordinator. Doug Nussmeier, the Bulldogs̢۪ coordinator in 2008, has accepted the quarterback coach position at the University of Washington.

Steve Sarkisian, the first-year head coach of the Huskies, hired Nussmeier to teach quarterback Jake Locker and coordinate the passing game.

“We will have a quarterback coach title because it takes a lot of work to mentor a quarterback, takes a lot of offseason work and in-season work,â€Â Sarkisian said.

Bryan Cole / Collegian File Photo

Nussmeier, an Oregon native, was excited about the opportunity to coach at a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) school and should be expecting a higher salary closer to his hometown.

“This was a professional opportunity for us as a family that we couldn’t pass up,â€Â Nussmeier said in a press release.

Even though the move made sense for Nussmeier and his family, he still feels that he will miss coaching for the ̢۪Dogs.

“First and foremost I thank coach Hill for the opportunity to come to Fresno State,â€Â Nussmeier said. “I’ll always be grateful for the way he treated me and my family. We had an outstanding time in Fresno and it’s a special place and difficult to leave.â€Â

With Nussmeier running the offense in 2008, Fresno State ranked No. 43 in the nation in total offense with 387 yards per game and averaged 29 points per game, ranking No. 37.

The numbers were down from the team̢۪s total after the 2007 season, a year that saw the Bulldogs̢۪ offense thrive.

The departure of Nussmeier came at an inconvenient time for the Fresno State program. The offseason will be a key time for the development of the three quarterbacks for the Bulldogs – Ebahn Feathers, Ryan Colburn and Derek Carr.

The offense might also see a change in offensive scheme — Hill said that in the offseason he planned to study Nevada’s pistol spread offense and incorporate some new package into the offense.

A hire for the offensive coordinator position and the other vacant coaching spots will not take place until after Feb. 4, National Signing Day.

Juan Villa / Collegian File Photo

“We will work three coaches down for now and put all of our energy into recruiting. After the signing day, we will work on getting the staff in place,â€Â Hill said in a press release.

Brown set to retire

Dan Brown is expected to retire following his twelfth season as the Bulldogs̢۪ defensive coordinator.

Brown was hired in 1996, when Hill was named the head coach and has been a respected coach in his time in Fresno, but a health condition has forced Brown to evaluate his career.

For the past two seasons he has been battling brain cancer but has continued to coach and be active.

After two long years of balancing family, treatment and a demanding career, it looks like Brown will retire before the start of spring camp. The move will not come as a surprise, as Brown has been talking about stepping down since the ̢۪Dogs New Mexico Bowl loss in December.

Brown has stated that he looks forward to spending more time with his family following his retirement.

Locklin leaves for Big 12

Defensive line coach Kerry Locklin has decided to join head coach Mark Mangino̢۪s staff at the University of Kansas, accepting the same position with the Jayhawks.

Locklin had spent nine seasons with the Bulldogs and coached WAC Players of the Year Alan Harper and Garrett McIntyre in his time in Fresno.

“This is a great opportunity for him to go into the Big 12 and it is a great professional opportunity,â€Â Hill said. “We appreciate his loyalty to our program for nearly a decade. He has a great family and we wish them well.â€Â

Locklin felt that moving to a school like Kansas wouldn̢۪t be a drastic change from the atmosphere of Fresno State.

“I feel this is a school with a rich tradition and is an up-and-coming program,â€Â Locklin said in a release. “Coach Mangino has done a great job getting the program headed in the right direction. I am excited to be a part of it. Kansas is very similar to Fresno State in getting respect in the conference and around the country.â€Â

The McClatchy Tribune contributed additional information to this report.