Ault steps down as Nevada coach
Chris Ault, who is credited with inventing the Pistol offense, announced on Friday that he is stepping down as Nevada's head football coach after 28 years in the position.
He said his resignation is effective immediately.
Ault, 66, was Nevada's head coach for three separate stints - 1976-92, 1994-95 and 2004-present - so this is the third time he has resigned as the Wolf Pack's head coach. He finishes with a coaching record of 233-109-1, and, in 2002, Ault was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Nevada finished 7-6 this season, including a 49-48 loss to Arizona in the New Mexico Bowl. The Wolf Pack lost five of its last six games.
Ault was also a Wolf Pack quarterback in the mid-'60s and the school's athletic director from 1986-2004. Ault became head coach when Nevada had a Division II football program, and it later moved up to Division I-AA before becoming an FBS program in 1992. Ault spent 41 of the past 48 years at his alma mater as a player, coach or administrator.
"Wolf Pack football has firmly established a blueprint for success that can be sustained," Ault said in a statement announcing his retirement.
"Chris Ault truly has been Nevada Football for more than 40 years," athletic director Cary Groth said on the school's website. "He has left an indelible footprint on not only the football program, but the University as well. His legacy is one of success, honor and tradition. There is a reason that he is in the Hall of Fame and was one of the youngest coaches ever inducted. I know I speak for the entire community in congratulating - and sincerely thanking - Coach for his honorable service to college football and our University."
