TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 17: Coach Dan McCarney of the North Texas Mean Green reacts to a play in their game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on September 17, 2011 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 17: Coach Dan McCarney of the North Texas Mean Green reacts to a play in their game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on September 17, 2011 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)

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DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) – The University of North Texas fired football coach Dan McCarney Saturday after losing 66-7 to Portland State.

McCarney, 62, was in his fifth year with UNT. The team is 0-5 in 2015. McCarney finished with a 22-32 record coaching at North Texas.

Offensive coordinator Mike Canales was selected to be the interim coach for the rest of the season on Sunday.

The 2015 season so far is a fall from grace after 9-4 season in 2013 in which the Mean Green won the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the Cotton Bowl in January of 2014.

The team has gone 4-13 since then.

UNT released the following statement and quotes Saturday night:

University of North Texas Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal has announced that Dan McCarney has been relieved of his duties as head football coach effective immediately. An interim coach for the remainder of the season will be named at a later time. A national search for his replacement will begin immediately.

“This is a really a tough decision, but after a complete evaluation of the University of North Texas football program we have decided to make a change at head coach,” said Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal. “I will always cherish my relationship with Coach McCarney and he’s done nothing but great things for us in his time here, but we felt like this was the best thing we needed to do for the program moving forward.”

“The people here at North Texas are great, we couldn’t have been embraced or supported any better during my time here,” said McCarney. “Obviously we have been really struggling lately and Rick (Villarreal) felt it was in his best interests with the University and the athletic department and the football program to go another director. I will always be grateful to President Rawlins, Rick and President Smatresk for this opportunity.”

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