Interim Athletics Director Nona Richardson announced Thursday that UC Davis head football coach Bob Biggs will retire at the end of the 2012 football season.
Biggs has been a part of the UC Davis coaching staff since 1978 and took over as head coach in 1991. By the time he ultimately leaves the university in June of 2013, Biggs will be 62 years old.
“I’d been thinking about it for awhile,” Biggs said. “After 20 years of being a head coach, this seemed like a perfect time.”
Biggs’ career record stands at 140-78-1, but the Aggies struggled this season, going just 4-7 — the team’s worst performance since 1969. Recent struggles had spurred rumors that Biggs might not make it to the 2012 season.
“There’s been a lot of speculation about what I was going to do or what was going to happen,” Biggs said. “I just wanted to put those rumors to rest.
“Yes it was a disappointing season, but that’s not my reason for retiring. I feel like we have some unfinished business.”
The announcement was one that came as a relief to sophomore quarterback Randy Wright.
“‘I’m just really happy he’s going to be back for another year,” Wright said.
Biggs’ decision comes during a period of transition for the UC Davis athletics department, as the university is currently searching to a new Athletic Director (AD) and expects to hire one before the end of the 2011-12 school year.
“[My decision] will give the new AD a chance to acclimate themselves and start their search for somebody to take my position,” Biggs said. “I will be in a position to help whoever that new person will be.”
By staying through the 2012 season, Biggs will be able to be part of UC Davis football’s first season as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
“It’s important to have his experience for that first season in the Big Sky,” Wright said. “He knows the program and the transition to a new coach would have been difficult. Hopefully we’ll be able to make a run at the Big Sky Confernce title.”
TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
