CINCINNATI, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- University of Cincinnati football coach Rick Minter was fired Monday after 10 seasons, taking the Bearcats to four bowls, but only to a 5-7 mark this year.
This year's losing season was Minter's first since 1999.
The Bearcats won their first three games this season, but stumbled to the finish, capped by a 43-40 loss to Louisville on Friday.
The 49-year-old Minter was 53-63-1 at Cincinnati, making him the program's most winning and most losing coach. He ended Cincinnati's 47-year bowl drought in 1997 when the Bearcats went to the Humanitarian Bowl.
Despite the success, Minter came under increased criticism for failing to create a larger fan base and national profile.
Friday's game with Louisville, played in inclement weather, attracted only 11,993 fans, only slightly more than one-third of the stadium's capacity.
Minter's departure comes as the Bearcats prepare to leave Conference USA and join the Big East in time for the 2005 season.
Minter was an assistant for 16 years in the college ranks and was defensive coordinator at Notre Dame before going to Cincinnati.
