Northern Colorado announced that head coach Ed McCaffrey won't return after two seasons that saw the Bears go 6-16.
A national search begins immediately, the school said Monday.
"This is never an easy decision," director of athletics Darren Dunn said in a statement. "We appreciate all the work, time and energy Coach McCaffrey has put into the program and we wish him the best in the future."
McCaffrey was hired on Dec. 12, 2019, but had to wait quite a while before making his coaching debut at the school. The Big Sky Conference decided to postpone its 2020 football season to the spring of 2021, and then Northern Colorado opted out of the spring season for health and safety reasons.
It was a family reunion at Northern Colorado for the McCaffrey family. Two of Ed McCaffrey's sons joined him on campus, with Max serving as the offensive coordinator and Dylan arriving to play quarterback after leaving Michigan.
One of McCaffrey's other sons is Christian, who is a running back for the San Francisco 49ers.
Ed McCaffrey played 13 seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, the 49ers and the New York Giants.
He coached at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where he led the Eagles to a 24-2 record and a title in 2018.
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