Buffalo fires football coach Quinn after 7 games

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo has fired coach Jeff Quinn two days after the Bulls lost to Eastern Michigan.

''It is with great disappointment that we have to make this change,'' athletic director Danny White said in a statement released Monday. ''Unfortunately, the performance on the field this season and over coach Quinn's tenure has not matched our expectations for the growth of Bulls football.

''With the bye week, our coaches and student-athletes have an opportunity to evaluate themselves and make the changes needed to improve. We have some very talented and hard-working student athletes on this team and we hope this change shifts the course of the 2014 season.''

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Alex Wood was elevated to interim coach. The Bulls next play Oct. 25 at home against Mid-American Conference rival Central Michigan.

Quinn, 52, was in his fifth season with the Bulls, who are 3-4 with two victories against FCS teams. He was 20-36 overall.

The Bulls had their best season under Quinn last year, going 8-5 with a bowl trip to Idaho. Linebacker Khalil Mack went on to be the fifth-overall pick in the NFL draft.

The Bulls lost 37-27 to Eastern Michigan on Saturday. It was the Eagles' first win of the season against an FBS team.

Before being hired by Buffalo to replace Turner Gill, Quinn spent 21 years as an assistant under Brian Kelly at Cincinnati, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State.

White has had little patience in making changes at Buffalo since taking over as athletic director in May 2012.

Less than a year into his tenure, he fired long-time men's basketball coach Reggie Witherspoon and made a national splash by replacing him with former Duke star point guard Bobby Hurley.

White, who signed a five-year contract extension last month, has particularly had an eye on raising the school's profile. That includes an ambitious plan in placing a larger emphasis on ''New York'' because of Buffalo's position as the state university system's flagship school.

White has already reached deals to have Bulls football games broadcast on radio through much of the state, including New York City. His immediate objective has been to raise funds to build an indoor practice facility for the football program.