Rice Athletics announced the firing of football head coach Mike Bloomgren on Sunday, less than 24 hours after a 17-10 loss at the University of Connecticut. “As I evaluated our program and compared our current and desired trajectory, I determined new leadership is necessary to guide us into the future,” said athletic director Tommy McClelland in a statement. Bloomgren, 47, was in the middle of his seventh season as the Owls’ head coach at the time of his firing. Through six full seasons, he has never led the program to a winning record. His best finish came in 2023 when Rice went 6-6 and lost their bowl game to Texas State University.