Ball State fires coach Mike Neu in midst of 3-7 season

Ball State fired longtime coach Mike Neu Saturday as the Cardinals face their fourth straight losing season.

With two games left on the season, Ball State is 3-7 with a 2-4 record in the Mid-American Conference.

“Coach Neu has poured his heart into the Ball State football program,” athletic director Jeff Mitchell said Saturday. “I commend him for his professionalism and the positive team culture he has constructed. His efforts have greatly impacted the lives of hundreds of young men. He has represented the Ball State brand with integrity and class, and I wish him well in future pursuits.”

Neu, 53, had just one winning season since taking the helm in 2016. The Cardinals were 7-1 in 2020, finishing the season with the MAC title, a 34-13 win over San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl and the No. 23 postseason ranking.

The following season, Ball State lost 51-20 to Georgia State in the Camellia Bowl to finish 6-7.

A native of Indiana, Neu was the Ball State quarterback from 1990-93. He led the Cardinals to the MAC title in his senior year, making him the only person to win the MAC as both a player and head coach for the same school.

Neu’s record through nine seasons at Ball State was 40-63.

Offensive line coach Colin Johnson, also a former Ball State player, will be the interim head coach for Ball State’s two remaining contests this season: a Nov. 23 home game against Bowling Green and a Nov. 29 road game against Ohio.

–Field Level Media