Fresno State’s offense has lacked spark the past two seasons and head coach Tim DeRuyter made the decision to go in a new direction offensively as he announced Monday the firing of offensive coordinator Dave Schramm.
“Offensive coordinator Dave Schramm will not be retained, and a search for a new offensive coordinator will begin immediately,” DeRuyter said in a statement. “My evaluation of the remainder of the coaching staff is ongoing, and any further changes will be announced when that evaluation process is complete.”
Schramm, who was also the quarterbacks coach, served as the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator since DeRuyter’s arrival in 2012.
In 2013, Schramm directed a Derek Carr-led offense that produced an average of 43.3 points per game, but that number declined to 26.5 in 2014 and fell even lower to 22.2 this season.
After putting up record-breaking numbers in the Carr era, Schramm’s offense has stalled the past two seasons, primarily due to inconsistent quarterback play.
The Bulldogs played three quarterbacks in 2014 and have shuffled around four this season in sophomore Zack Greenlee, freshman Chason Virgil, junior transfer Ford Childress and redshirt freshman Kilton Anderson.
Virgil and Childress both suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back games, and Greenlee and Anderson split time as starters in Weeks 5-13. Greenlee finished the year as the team’s top passer with 866 yards passing and 13 touchdowns.
“This was a very difficult decision but one that I feel is necessary moving forward,” DeRuyter said “I will continue to evaluate our entire staff and make adjustments where necessary. I personally want to thank Dave Schramm for his contributions as he played a key role on our staff in helping us win two conference championships, a division title and three bowl game invitations.
“Under his leadership, our offense led the nation in passing in 2013 and ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and total offense. Our results the past two years, however, have fallen short of expectations which led to this decision.”
As far as replacing Schramm, DeRuyter said he will look for someone who has “a proven track record in running a multidimensional offense.”
In the statement, Fresno State athletic director Jim Bartko also commented on the change.
“Today’s decision is not easy, and it is our goal to continue to teach and motivate our football team to be successful on and off the field; continue to do well in the classroom; win championships; and play in the postseason,” he said. “The fans, alumni and students deserve the best product on the field, and we will work quickly but diligently to do just that.”