Nov 19, 2001

By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) - Southern Methodist fired coach Mike Cavan on Monday, ending a five-year tenure that began with a winning record then dissolved into four straight losing seasons.

Cavan will coach the Mustangs (3-6, 3-4 WAC) for their final two games, Saturday against Rice and Dec. 1 at North Carolina.

"This is the right time to make a change in the leadership of our football program," said SMU athletic director Jim Copeland said, who hopes to have a replacement by mid-December.

Cavan, who leaves with a 21-33 record, came to SMU in 1997 after kick-starting moribund programs at Division II Valdosta State and I-AA East Tennessee State.

He lived up to his reputation when his first team went 6-5, the school's first winning season since coming back from the NCAA's death penalty in 1989.

But he couldn't keep it up. The Mustangs went 5-7 the following year, then 4-6 and 3-9.

SMU's only victories this season are against San Jose State, Texas-El Paso and Tulsa, all among the bottom five teams in the WAC. Nevada, also in that group, beat the Mustangs.

Last year, SMU moved into $57 million Ford Stadium, an on-campus facility expected to help draw more recruits and more fans.

The Mustangs beat Kansas in a sold-out opener, but by season's end weren't coming close to filling the 32,000-seat stadium. Empty seats have been the norm again this season.

Cavan has a career record of 88-82-2 in 16 seasons as a head coach. He was an assistant coach at Georgia, his alma mater, from 1973-85.

The Bulldogs won the national title in 1980 and won four Southeastern Conference championships while he was on the staff under Vince Dooley.