FAU Names Arkansas' Charlie Partridge New Head Coach
BOCA RATON (CBSMiami/AP) — The troubled Florida Atlantic University football program has a new man at the top. Arkansas assistant head coach and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has been hired as head coach at Florida Atlantic.
Partridge comes from Arkansas where he led a bad defense in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas finished 12th out of 14 teams in scoring defense, 11th in rush and pass defense, and 10th in total defense.
Partridge, a native of nearby Plantation, Fla., has worked under Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema the past six years, including five seasons at Wisconsin and the past season at Arkansas.
Partridge also coached at Pittsburgh, Eastern Illinois, Iowa State and Drake, where he played football and graduated in 1995. He recruited in Florida for Arkansas and Wisconsin.
Carl Pelini resigned as coach Oct. 30 after FAU said he and former defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis acknowledged using illegal drugs. The school later withdrew Pelini's resignation and fired him. Offensive coordinator Brian Wright went 4-0 as interim coach.
FAU finished the season ranked third in Conference USA with a defense that allowed just 22.3 points per game and was tops in the league in total defense, allowing just 328.8 yards per game.
FAU won five of its last seven games, including a 21-6 victory over rival Florida International.
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