MIAMI – Florida International University has fired head football coach Ron Turner after an 0-4 start for the team.
Turner was relieved of his duties after Saturday's 53-14 loss to Central Florida.
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"I want to thank coach Turner for his contributions to the FIU football program, most importantly his commitment to academics and community service," FIU athletic director Pete Garcia said in a statement.
Assistant head coach Ron Cooper has been named interim head coach. Cooper joined Turner's coaching staff at FIU last season and was promoted to defensive coordinator prior to the start of the 2016 season.
Cooper hasn't been a head coach since 2001, the last of four seasons at Alabama A&M. He took over for Howard Schnellenberger at Louisville in 1995 but was fired after a 1-10 season in 1997. He has also served as an assistant coach at Wisconsin, Mississippi State, South Carolina and South Florida, among other schools.
Turner was 10-30 in just more than three seasons at FIU. The Panthers improved from 1-11 in his first season in 2013 to 4-8 in 2014 and 5-7 in 2015, but a winless September was enough to seal Turner's fate.