Dec. 09, 2024 16:24 PM EST

Appalachian State, Charlotte Introduce New Football Coaches As They Look To Turn Around Programs

By STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer
FILE - Then-New York Jets offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains smiles before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File) Bill Kostroun, ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - Then-New York Jets offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains smiles before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)
FILE - Ohio coach Tim Albin directs his team against Iowa State during an NCAA college football game, Sept. 16, 2023, in Athens, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)
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Appalachian State and Charlotte will have new head football coaches when they meet next August in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.

Both schools introduced their new hires on Monday following coaching shakeups after disappointing losing seasons.

Dowell Loggains takes over at Appalachian State for Shawn Clark, who was fired last week after the Mountaineers finished 5-6 in their first losing season since 2013.

Loggains, the former offensive coordinator at South Carolina, inherits a program with a rich football history that includes three national championships at the FCS level, 22 conference championships, six straight FBS bowl wins from 2015-20 and, of course, a memorable upset when as an FCS school they went into the Big House and upset No. 2 Michigan in 2007.

The 44-year-old Loggains was South Carolina’s offensive coordinator for two seasons after serving two seasons as an assistant at Arkansas, his alma mater. He spent 16 years in the NFL as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Tennessee, Cleveland, Chicago, Miami and the New York Jets.

“I promise you this, we're going to work from dusk until dawn to get this thing right,” Loggains said at his introductory news conference in Boone, North Carolina.

About two hours to the South, Charlotte was introducing head coach Tim Albin.

Albin went 32-19 in four seasons at Ohio, helping the Bobcats win the MAC Championship game Saturday with a 38-3 victory over Miami of Ohio to improve to 10-3. The Bobcats will play Conference USA champion Jacksonville State in the Cure Bowl on Dec. 20 under interim head coach Brian Smith.

Albin, 59, replaces former Michigan assistant coach Biff Poggi, who was fired after going 6-16 in two seasons with the 49ers.

Charlotte has had only one winning season since moving to the FBS level in 2015.

“In my 30 years plus years in coaching I have learned that building a championship program takes a village,” Albin said. “We are off to a hell of a start. ... There is work to be done here but I'm confident that with the leadership and the people in place we can work to make Niner nation proud.”

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