A 59-point loss to an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent has cost former Iowa State Cyclones coach Dan McCarney his latest job.

McCarney was fired as head coach at North Texas on Saturday (Oct. 10, 2015), within an hour after the Mean Green (0-5) lost their Homecoming game to Portland State, 66-7.

University of North Texas Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal announced McCarney's dismissal in a statement posted on the school's website. His firing is effective immediately.

"This is a really a tough decision, but after a complete evaluation of the University of North Texas football program, we have decided to make a change at head coach," Villarreal said in the statement. "I will always cherish my relationship with coach McCarney and he's done nothing but great things for us in his time here, but we felt like this was the best thing we needed to do for the program moving forward."

McCarney, in the middle of his fifth season, was 22-32 at North Texas. His best season came in 2013, when the Mean Green went 9-4 and won the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

"The people here at North Texas are great, we couldn't have been embraced or supported any better during my time here," said McCarney, 62, who's a native of Iowa City. "Obviously we have been really struggling lately, and Rick (Villarreal) felt it was in his best interests with the University and the athletic department and the football program to go another direction. I will always be grateful to President Rawlins, Rick and President Smatresk for this opportunity."

Villarreal said North Texas will begin a national search for McCarney's replacement immediately.

The 66-points scored by the Vikings on Saturday were the most in history by an FCS opponent against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team. It marked the second time this season that North Texas has allowed more than 60 points in a game. On Sept. 26, the Iowa Hawkeyes rolled to a 62-16 home win over the Mean Green at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

Prior to taking charge of the North Texas program in 2011, McCarney led Iowa State to five bowl appearance during his 12-year tenure as the Cyclones' head coach. He was let go after the 2006 season.
Between his head coaching jobs, McCarney was the defensive line coach at South Florida in 2007 and at Florida from 2008 to 2011.

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