The Mike Stoops era in Tucson is over. After speculation ran wild for a few hours before the press conference, athletic director Greg Byrne set the record straight. Here is a video, which was obtained from AZStarNet.com:
In the video, Byrne addresses when the decision was made, why the change had to come now and not after the season, the impact on recruiting and an approximate timetable for the hiring of the new head coach. Co-defensive coordinator Tim Kish has indeed been named the interim head coach for the rest of the season. While he is not considered a likely candidate for the job in 2012, a strong finish to this season could propel Kish's name into the running.
This was the first monumental decision of Greg Byrne's tenure at UA and it was certainly one that will please the fan bas. It will be interesting to see how the coaching search plays out in the coming months.