Tim DeRuyter Fired by Fresno State: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Fresno State Bulldogs announced they fired head football coach Tim DeRuyter, according to Bryant-Jon Anteola of the Fresno Bee.

Offensive coordinator Eric Kiseau will take over as interim coach, per Anteola. 

Fresno State is coming off a 38-20 loss to the Utah State Aggies on Saturday, which dropped the Bulldogs to 1-7.

The team will miss out on a bowl game for the second straight season after making bowl appearances in each of DeRuyter's first three years.

Uproxx's Matt Hinton tweeted what was a big reason for the Bulldogs' early success under DeRuyter:

In 2012 and 2013, Fresno State had Derek Carr under center. Carr threw for 5,083 yards, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his senior year alone. In the two-and-a-half years since, Bulldogs quarterbacks have combined to throw for 7,105 yards, 55 touchdowns and 45 interceptions.

Rittenberg speculated Jeff Tedford is atop Fresno State's wish list for its next head coach. SEC Country's Christopher Smith thinks Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will be in the running as well.

SEC Network's Tom Hart tweeted Kiffin could hold out for a better opportunity:

Tedford is the more realistic option of the two. The Bulldogs won't be able to attract any of the hottest coaching candidates, so they'll have to gamble on either an experienced head coach who's out of work or a young assistant who has yet to lead a team of his own.

Tedford hasn't had a head coaching job since getting fired by the California Golden Bears in 2012.

The 54-year-old's tenure in Berkeley didn't end well, with the Golden Bears finishing 3-9 in his final season. He'd be a solid hire for Fresno State given where the program is at.

Tedford will already have a strong base for in-state recruiting after spending 11 years with the Golden Bears, and he would help turn around Fresno State's offense, which ranks 107th in yards per game (354.9 YPG).

Coaching Fresno State would bring Tedford's career full circle. He graduated from the school in 1982 and worked as an assistant on Jim Sweeney's staff from 1992 to 1997.