Mike Neu's firing comes in the wake of a crushing overtime loss to Buffalo that eliminated Ball State from bowl eligibility.

Neu, 53, is a beloved alum with a strong campus reputation, but the lack of results ultimately led to his dismissal. Ball State lost 51-48 in overtime at Buffalo this week and fell to 2-4 in MAC play. That clinched a fourth consecutive losing season for Ball State.

According to Neu's contract, Ball State owes the now-former coach a $550,000 buyout. Neu's contract does not contain any mitigation clause, so he is due the full amount, and any future compensation he could earn from another coaching job would not lessen the amount owed to him by Ball State.