The Citadel is making a change in head coaches with their football program. The school announced Monday morning the contract of head coach Brent Thompson will not be renewed. Thompson just completed his fifth season as head coach of the Bulldogs. His first team won the SOCON Championship but his final three did not have a winning record. He finished with a 36-44 overall record and a 27-31 mark in the Southern Conference.
Here’s the full release from The Citadel:
The Citadel Director of Athletics Mike Capaccio announced Monday that the contract of head football coach Brent Thompson will not be renewed.
“I want to thank Brent for all of his hard work in leading this program since 2016,” said Capaccio. “However, at this time, the program is not moving in a positive direction which made it necessary to make the change. We wish Coach Thompson the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Thompson’s tenure comes to an end after amassing a 36-44 overall record and 27-31 record in conference action.
Thompson took over as the Bulldogs head coach prior to the 2016, after serving as the offensive coordinator the previous two seasons.
In his first season as head coach, Thompson guided the Bulldogs to a perfect 8-0 conference record and the program’s second-straight SoCon title. The Bulldogs would win their first 10 games of the season.
Following the season, Thompson was named the SoCon Coach of the Year.
The Citadel followed up the 2016 season with back-to-back 5-6 seasons, and a 6-6 record in 2019. The 2019 season featured a 27-24 overtime victory against Georgia Tech, the program’s first ever win against a team from the ACC.
The Bulldogs were one of the few FCS teams to play through the pandemic in 2020, playing four games (3 FBS) during the fall. The Citadel played the full spring slate, finishing the year with a record of 2-10.
The effects of the COVID season carried its way into 2021, where the Bulldogs finished 4-7.
As the offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015, Thompson led an offense that ranked second in the FCS in rushing yards per game each season. The 2015 season was highlighted by a 23-22 victory over South Carolina, in which the Bulldogs ran for 350 yards.
The Citadel has retained the services of College Sports Solutions to conduct a national search for the next football coach.
