By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Lenoir-Rhyne University — which has made no official announcements regarding its football program since firing head coach Mike Kellar — announced Wednesday it has scheduled a press conference for Thursday at 10 a.m. announcement regarding a new head football coach is scheduled at the Belk Centrum on campus.
LRU officials announced last month Kellar, after two seasons as head coach, would not return for another season. He came to LRU in January 2016 to replace Ian Shields, who left to become head coach at Jacksonville (Fla.) University.
In the press release, the school invited media as well as campus and community members to attend the press conference and said it will be streamed live through the Bears Sports Network.
Prior to Wednesday’s press release, the school did not release any information regarding the football program other than confirming seven individuals listed on the athletic website after Kellar was fired on Nov. 15 now constituted the football coaching staff.
A request for an interview with LRU director of athletics Kim Pate was rejected by the marketing and communication department, which also declined to seek answers to questions submitted by HobbsDailyReport.com regarding the football program.
LRU officials have never clarified if other assistant football coaches who were no longer pictured or had biographical information listed on the athletic website as last season began had also been fired or if they had voluntarily left their positions.
David Cone was named interim head coach when Kellar was dismissed.
The Bears were 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the SAC last season, ending with their first back-to-back losing seasons since 2008-09 under head coach Fred Goldsmith.
LRU finished seventh among eight teams in the SAC this season.
The new head football coach will be the 22nd in school history.