‘These are never easy processes:’ The post-Poggi era starts

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Biff Poggi, who was fired as Charlotte football coach on Monday, will receive $1.3 million for the remainder of his contract, which expires in 2027.

Charlotte 49ers football coach Biff Poggi has been fired.

Who will replace him?

Poggi, who had a 6-16 record as head coach at Charlotte, was dismissed on Nov. 18. The 49ers were 3-7 in Poggi’s second year as head coach. Associate Head Coach Tim Brewster will be the interim head coach for the remaining two games of the 2024 season.

“I have tremendous empathy for coach Poggi,” Brewster said. “Great thanks to him, for the man he is, for the job [he did] and for the heart and soul that he poured into this program here at Charlotte. I have been coaching a long time and don’t know that I’ve ever been around a man who, again, imparted more of his passion, energy and his heart and soul into the players. It was a real pleasure to be a part of his staff.”

Poggi was under a five-year contract that expires in 2027 which included a $500,000 base salary plus $500,000 in Athletic Foundation funds annually. Poggi is owed a $1.3 million buyout from his original contract.

In Poggi’s first year, the 49ers went 3-9 with wins over South Carolina State, East Carolina and Tulsa. In year two, Poggi compiled three wins: against Gardner-Webb, East Carolina and Rice. Charlotte gave up 40 points or more on three occasions in 2023 and more than 50 points on three occasions in 2024.

Athletics Director Mike Hill addressed reporters on Nov. 19 to explain the decision as well as give updates as to what will take place as the search starts for Poggi’s successor.

“These are never easy processes,” Hill said. “They're never easy to execute, because you're impacting real people, coaches, staff members, their families and our players. [It was] really difficult to deliver that kind of news to them. This is a tough business; Biff and I talked about that. It really is a tough business, and unfortunately, we just were not making the progress that I felt that we needed to make at this point, and felt we needed to make a change, and that’s why we made the decision that we did.”

Hill acknowledged Poggi’s genuine love for the players and staff, and that is something that he will be grateful for and most likely be looking for in the next candidate as well, among other things.

“I am thankful to Biff Poggi for his leadership and mentorship of our student-athletes over these past two seasons,” Hill said. “No one can question Biff’s passion for helping young people succeed in life, both personally and professionally, but our on-field results have unfortunately fallen short of everyone’s expectations. As we move forward into the next chapter of Charlotte 49er football, we will be looking for a leader to take our program to the next level as a consistent bowl and championship contender.”

Hill turned the reins over to Brewster for the final two games because of Brewster’s history, which includes head coach at Minnesota and experience at all three levels of the sport.

“Look, Brewster is an experienced coach,” Hill said. “He has been around the block, and he’s got great experience. He’s sat in [the coach’s] chair. He knows how to do this. He has been a part of this program, and I know he cares as well. [Brewster] told me yesterday that it was an honor for him to be asked, and so we are really grateful for him taking on that challenge.”

Hill said the athletic department is unsure if it will utilize a search firm like in 2022 before Poggi was hired. There is a sense of urgency though because the transfer portal opens on Dec. 9 and the next coach will need to be in place to recruit new players and build relationships with those who decide to stay.

Hill outlined several qualities he’s looking for, but one that stood out was locating a candidate who wants to be on campus for the long term.

“We're looking first and foremost, somebody who’s a person of integrity that matters a lot here on this campus,” he said, “someone who really wants to be here at Charlotte. That sounds obvious to people, but you’d be surprised. There are coaches who are just looking for the title, but don’t really care where it is, and I think it’s hard if you don’t have a passion for the opportunity and the place to succeed. And so that’ll be a major point for us. [Also] someone who’s a proven track record of coaching at the collegiate level, and someone who is also a proven recruiter and developer of talent. That’s going to be essential as we look at candidates.”

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