FARGO - Former North Dakota State football coach Rocky Hager had "no indication whatsoever" that his Northeastern University (Mass.) football program was going to get axed for cost-cutting reasons. The school made the official announcement this morning on campus.
Hager, who led NDSU to two NCAA Division II national titles and is a member of the school's athletic Hall of Fame, said he first heard of the decision about 6 Sunday night.
"Complete surprise," Hager said.
He's seen a lot in his coaching career, "but nothing quite like this," he said. "I'm sure you would anticipate a professional reaction rather than kicking and screaming. So, I thought, OK, how do you go about this because the decision was final. I didn't have time to place plan for our players and I didn't have a plan for our assistant coaches."
