San Diego State offensive coordinator Jeff Hecklinski has been relieved of his duties, coach Brady Hoke announced Sunday.
Hecklinski had been under fire due to the team’s offensive struggles this season. Associate head coach Jeff Horton will be the new offensive coordinator.
“I want to thank Jeff and his family for their commitment to San Diego State,” Hoke said in a news release. “This was a difficult decision to make as I know Jeff cared deeply about this program and was instrumental to us being a 12-win team last year. We will continue to work to improve in all facets of the game and look forward to (playing) Hawaii on Saturday.”
San Diego ranks 114th nationally in scoring offense (19.0 points per game) and 127th in total offense (258.2 yards per game).
The Aztecs had just 114 total yards and six first downs and didn’t score an offensive touchdown in Friday’s 35-13 road loss to Boise State.
Hecklinski, 48, was in his third season as San Diego State’s OC. Horton preceded him and ran the offense from 2015-19, a time when the program had back-to-back 2,000-yard rushers in Donnel Pumphrey (2,133 in 2016) and Rashaad Penny (2,248 in 2017).
Hecklinski also coached on Hoke’s staffs at Ball State from 2004-08, San Diego State during Hoke’s first stint from 2009-10 and Michigan from 2011-14.
The Aztecs (2-3, 0-1 Mountain West) are averaging 12.3 points over their past three games.
San Diego State also has issues at quarterback as starter Braxton Burmeister sustained a concussion and backup Kyle Crum reportedly broke his collarbone in the loss to Boise State.
Since previous No. 2 Will Haskell elected to transfer in mid-September, that left freshman Liu Aumavae to finish the game and he misfired on all seven of his passing attempts.
–Field Level Media
