The loss of Rice at UConn has led to a coaching change.
Coach Mike Bloomgren has been fired after a 17-10 loss to UConn on Saturday moved Rice to 2-6 on the season. Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported the shooting Sunday afternoon, shortly before Rice made a statement.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Coach Bloomgren. During his seven seasons as head football coach, he has represented our college and football program with the utmost class and integrity,” Rice athletic director Tommy McClelland said in a statement. “However, as I evaluated our program and compared our current and desired trajectory, I concluded that new leadership is needed to lead us into the future.”
Rice went to bowl games in 2022 and 2023, although the Owls won six games just once during Bloomgren’s tenure. Last season, Rice went 6-6 before losing 45-21 to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl. The season before, Rice played a bowl game despite a 5-7 season because there weren’t enough 6-6 teams and the Owls had one of the best academic advancement rates of any 5-7 team.
Overall, the Owls went 24-52 since Bloomgren was hired in 2018. The team was 2-11 in his first season and improved incrementally during his tenure. However, the Owls took a step back this season in their second year in the AAC. Rice’s only win over an FBS opponent this season is a 29-27 victory over UTSA. The team was defeated by FBS opponents 193-104.
The school said associate head coach and special teams coordinator Pete Alamar will be the team’s interim coach.
