PITTSBURG, Kan. – As the
fate of University of Kansas head coach Mark Mangino hangs in the balance, it is the future of another head coach in Kansas that is taking center stage Wednesday.
Pittsburg State University head football coach Chuck Broyles announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon at a news conference.
Broyles, who also serves as the university's athletic director, was joined by university president Dr. Steve Scott at the news conference. It was held in the Wilkinson Alumni Center.
Scott said he has appointed current assistant head coach Tim Beck acting head coach until a decision is made on Broyles’ successor, which, Scott said, will be done rapidly.
Broyles was arrested Nov. 24 in Galena for driving under the influence, but the coach’s problems didn’t start there. He had already been under fire after his Gorillas finished 5-6 and just 3-6 in the
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Broyles had said Nov. 5 that he planned to stay on as head coach and athletic director, but that was before the Gorillas’ season-ending defeat at the hands of Truman State, who came into the game 1-9 and 0-8 in the MIAA.
Scott told the
Morning Sun last week he was in the process of his yearly review and would take all things, including this season, Broyles’ DUI arrest and the future into consideration.
Scott had also previously said he would meet with Broyles and address the DUI arrest specifically after the Thanksgiving break.
The president also announced that he has notified Broyles that he will be placed on paid administrative leave from his duties as director of Intercollegiate Athletics “until such time as the incident of November 24th is fully resolved.”
Until that time, Associate Athletic Director Russ Jewett will serve as acting athletic director. Scott also announced that in the coming fiscal year, the position of athletic director will become a full-time position, separate from the head coaching position.
Broyles has been the head coach at Pitt State for 20 years and has served as athletic director since 1996.
He has led the Gorillas to the Division II NCAA Playoffs in 15 of his 20 seasons, including the 1991 national championship. He has been named National Coach of the Year three times, most recently taking home the honor of
Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year after the 2008 season.
