The Sacramento State football team says goodbye to coach Steve Mooshagian this week after his four-year tenure as head coach and after finishing this season with a 4-7 overall record, 4-4 in the Big Sky conference.

Sac State director of athletics Terry Wanless met with the team on Nov. 27 and announced the news that Mooshagian will not return as the team’s head coach.

The announcement brought mixed reactions within the team. Junior quarterback Marcel Marquez said the decision made by Wanless was surprising, but was a decision he couldn’t control.

“I’m going to respect everything (Wanless) is doing,” Marquez said. “The decision he made should benefit the team and the school.”

Mooshagian brought in Marquez as a transfer from the College of the Canyons, and Marquez said he “loved” Mooshagian as a person. The head coach had been a father figure to him, helping him adjust to not having his family living nearby, he added.

Mooshagian had befriended many players on the team and it was the actions and advice of senior linebacker Tyson Butler that changed his mind to not turn in a letter of resignation like he had originally planned, Mooshagian said.

Butler stopped by Mooshagian’s office on Nov. 27 before the team meeting and it was Butler who reminded Mooshagian that it was he who told him to never quit and battle all the way to the end.

Mooshagian told the team at a meeting on Monday that he feels that he is the still the right guy to run this football program.

“I have great respect for the players in here and regardless of (the university’s) decision to keep me here or not, this is my football team. These are my players, these are our players. This is our team regardless of who ends up running it,” Mooshagian said.

After hearing the decision made by Wanless, Butler said he doesn’t agree with it. Playing for Mooshagian his entire four years at Sac State, Butler said there has been some ups and downs for the team, but Mooshagian had been a good coach and he did the best he could for the team.

“The things (Mooshagian) brought to Sac State and the football program is bigger than wins or losses,” Butler said.

Butler said it was surprising to hear that Mooshagian was not going to come back for another season, but at the same time he said administration had to make the decision they wanted to make.

After several meetings between Mooshagian and Wanless, Wanless said the university felt it was in its best interest to move in a different direction for the football program.

Wanless said they will be conducting a national search and will be seeking applications for a new head coach.

Wanless said there are no candidates lined up for the coaching position as of yet, but he is looking for someone with previous college coaching experience who will provide the leadership necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of a Big Sky championship.

After an evaluation of Mooshagian, Wanless said the athletic department was looking at the team’s accomplishments and the direction it was heading, but wasn’t satisfied with the results. A 4-4 finish in the Big Sky, makes it the second highest finish in the eleven year history Sac State has played in the Big Sky.

“I have great respect for Steve and appreciate the things he has done. At the same time, change was appropriate,” Wanless said.

With the departure of Mooshagian several players on the team felt no matter what happens, the team still has to continue playing football.

Sophomore middle linebacker Cyrus Mulitalo said Mooshagian was a good coach in the short time playing with him and even though it was not his decision to make, he has to stand by it and play football regardless of who is the coach of the team.

With the efforts Mooshagian has put into the football program, Butler would have wanted Mooshagian to have at least one more “shot” at a winning season.

“Coach Mooshagian is a great person, a great guy, a great father and a great coach,” Butler said. “Others may not see what guys who played for him see and how hard he worked for the Hornets. I’ll always be proud of him for that.”

Matthew Beltran can be reached at [email protected]