Fertig Quits UC Irvine Post, Plans to Seek Job in Football

Craig Fertig, the Associate Athletic Director for Development at UC Irvine, has resigned, school officials announced Wednesday.

For the past year, Fertig has coordinated fund raising for the athletic department and served as executive director of the UCI Athletic Foundation. He said that he hopes to return to football.

“To be honest, I miss football,” Fertig said. “I have enjoyed my experiences at UCI, I love the people and the school. I just feel that it is time to pursue interests in the football world.”

A former quarterback at USC, Fertig was an assistant coach at his alma mater for nine seasons before serving as head coach at Oregon State from 1976-79. He was a scout for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1980-83.

A replacement for Fertig at Irvine has not been named.

“We’ll probably get some help from the university Foundation,” Irvine Director of Athletics John Caine said. “Others of us will help out in those areas, too.”