Colorado hires ex-San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre | College football

BOULDER, Colo. — Mike MacIntyre's first meeting with his new team lasted just long enough to leave players with this thought: He has turned around one downtrodden program and he can do the same at Colorado.

The 47-year-old coach revived a San Jose State program in short order. Now, he will try to fix the beleaguered Buffaloes, who are coming off their worst season in the 123-year history of the program.

"We've got a long way to go. But I've been there before and I know what to do," MacIntyre told a room full of boosters and media Monday after agreeing to a five-year contract worth $2 million a season. "There's no reason Colorado shouldn't be at the top of the (Pac-12) conference and competing year in and year out."

His hiring ends a two-week search by Colorado that included a rejection by its first choice, Butch Jones.

Jones left Cincinnati last week to take the Tennessee job.

MacIntyre inherits a squad coming off a 1-11 record this year that led to the firing of Jon Embree, who was 4-21 in his two seasons.

San Jose State (10-2) is playing Bowling Green (8-4) in the Dec. 27 Military Bowl in Washington, D.C. Spartans athletic director Gene Bleymaier has not announced who will coach the team in the bowl game.

"I think they'll do fine without me," MacIntyre said. "They are prepared. They had a great season."

Petrino resurfaces

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Bobby Petrino was introduced as Western Kentucky's new coach.

The 51-year-old was fired by Arkansas in April for a "pattern of misleading" behavior after an accident in which the coach was injured while riding a motorcycle with his mistress as a passenger.

"At this point in my career, it's about getting back and coaching players," said Petrino, who was 34-17 at Arkansas.

"It just happened to open up at a place we love. I hope it can be as long as possible."

Petrino is replacing Willie Taggart, who left last week to become South Florida's coach. Petrino has a four-year contract with a base annual salary of $850,000.

UTEP hires Kugler

EL PASO, Texas — Texas-El Paso hired Sean Kugler as its coach, bringing in a former Miners player and assistant coach to replace the retired Mike Price.

Kugler, 46, spent almost three years as offensive-line coach for the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers.

Price, 66, is a former Washington State coach.

Notes

• Offensive-line coach Chris Thomsen will serve as interim coach for Texas Tech as it prepares to face Minnesota in the Dec. 28 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston. Coach Tommy Tuberville left Tech last week to become Cincinnati's coach.

• Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins of Ohio State said he will give up his senior season to enter the 2013 NFL draft.

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore is expected to make a similar announcement this week, sources said.

• Three Oregon State players arrested after a fight at a Corvallis bar last weekend have been suspended from the team.

Senior defensive end Rudolf Fifita, junior defensive tackle Mana Rosa and junior linebacker Dyllon Mafi were arraigned Monday. All face two counts of fourth-degree assault and one count of second-degree disorderly conduct.

Mafi, 20, faces an additional charge for misrepresenting his age.

The 15th-ranked Beavers (9-3) will play Texas (8-4) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 in San Antonio.

By The Associated Press