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In a somewhat surprising move, UTEP announced the firings of offensive coordinator Mike Canales and defensive coordinator Mike Cox late Friday afternoon.
“While this was a difficult decision to make, I felt this was the best decision of our program moving forward,’ said head coach Dana Dimel in a press release.
Breaking: UTEP football has announced the firings of offensive coordinator Mike Canales and defensive coordinator Mike Cox.
— Adrian Broaddus (@AdrianBroaddus) December 18, 2020
"While this was a difficult decision to make, I felt this is the best decision of our program moving forward," Dana Dimel said in a release. @600espnelpaso
In three seasons with the Miners, Canales’ offense never averaged above 23 points per game and the team ranked 100th or worse in passing offense two of the three seasons. On the defensive side of the ball, Cox’s 3-3-5 scheme allowed an average of 33.5 points during his tenure at the helm of the defense.
Dimel’s overall record as head coach stands at 5-27 in three years at UTEP, with this season’s 3-5 record eclipsing the number of wins (2) in the previous three seasons combined. Dimel came to UTEP as a well-regarded offensive mind, having led the Kansas State offense for eight seasons before leaving for El Paso in 2018.
The move is somewhat curious given the improvement in the win column and the team being competitive in Conference USA games against Charlotte, Lousiana Tech and North Texas, losing each game by 10 points or less.
A national search will start immediately to appoint their successors, according to UTEP.