Koetter is out at Arizona State

Arizona State fired Coach Dirk Koetter, who led the Sun Devils to bowl games the last three seasons but rarely beat the best in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Athletic Director Lisa Love made the announcement Sunday night after the team’s annual awards banquet in Scottsdale.

Koetter is 40-33 in six seasons at Arizona State.

There was no word on whether Koetter would coach the team in a bowl game.

The Sun Devils completed a 7-5 regular season with a 28-14 victory over rival Arizona in Tucson on Saturday, clinching their third consecutive postseason berth. Koetter was 4-2 against the Wildcats.

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North Carolina State fired Coach Chuck Amato, a day after he completed his seventh season at his alma mater.

The former Wolfpack linebacker had a 49-37 record at the school and led the team to five bowl games. But his squads were 25-31 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and never finished higher than fourth.

North Carolina finished 3-9 this season.

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Michigan State is close to hiring Cincinnati’s Mark Dantonio as its coach, with an official telling the Associated Press that university President Lou Anna Simon will recommend the move to the board of trustees.

Dantonio is 18-17 in three seasons at Cincinnati.

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Iowa State planned to announce today the successor to Coach Dan McCarney, who resigned this month after 12 seasons with the Cyclones.