By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
Murray State Racers have hired Dean Hood as their new head football coach, according to FootballScoop. He replaces Mitch Stewart, who was reassigned within the Athletic Department.
The 56-year-old has received his second head coaching opportunity. He was previously the Eastern Kentucky Colonels head football coach.
As the Colonels head coach, the team went 55-38. The team also went 44-19 within the Ohio Valley Conference.
He had five winning seasons over the eight at Eastern Kentucky. His best season at the school was a 9-4 record during the 2014 season.
Hood guided the program to three playoff appearances in eight seasons. Each time that the Colonels advances to the playoffs, they were defeated in the first-round in 2008, 2011, and 2014.
He comes to Murray State after spending the last three seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats. He had served as their special teams and outside linebackers coach.
Hood is the second Wildcats assistant coach to receive head coaching opportunities this off-season. Walt Wells, who also was an assistant at Kentucky, has received the Eastern Kentucky head coaching position.
The two-time Coach of the Year is taking over a program that went 4-8 in Stewart’s final season with the team. Stewart was the program’s leader for five seasons before his removal.