10:39 AM
The school announced Saturday that Joe Moorhead will be its next football coach.
The 10th-ranked Oregon team lost to Utah in the conference championship game in Las Vegas on Friday, and Moorhead was the offensive playcaller and quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons. He was fired as Mississippi State's coach in January 2020 after two seasons, during which he went 14-12 with two bowl appearances.
Sources told ESPN that he had been considered for Power 5 head-coaching opportunities.
Gary L. Miller, president of The University of Akron, said in a statement that they are committed to fielding a championship-caliber football program. Zips fans have been waiting a long time and I am confident that Joe will deliver winning football consistently to our community, in our world-class stadium, and throughout the season.
Depending on the schedule and the future of Mario Cristobal, Moorhead could coach in the bowl game for Oregon.
Moorhead accepted the job because of family reasons. He and his wife are both from Pennsylvania, and their oldest son, Mason, is a football player at a Division III college near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border.
Moorhead said that he and his family are excited for the opportunity. We can't wait to get back to our home region. Our plan for the future is simple: we'll roll up our sleeves and get to work, diligently building a program of which the school, the City of Akron, and the State of Ohio can be proud. Go Zips!
Moorhead was an assistant coach at the Zips for two years in the fall and winter of 2005 and 2006 before he became the Zips offensive coach. He replaces Tom Arth, who was fired after going 3-24 at the University of Akron.
Moorhead's previous coaching stops include four years as head coach at his alma mater, where he went 38-13 with three playoff appearances. He coordinated offenses at Penn State.
