Georgia Southern University announced Saturday evening (Nov. 21) that head football coach Chris Hatcher’s contract will not be renewed.

According to Athletics Director Sam Baker, a national search will begin immediately to find a replacement.

Hatcher completed his third year in charge of the Eagles and posted an 18-15 record during his tenure. The Eagles, coming off a 13-6 win versus The Citadel on Saturday, finished with just their third losing season in the 28 years (5-6 overall) since football was reinstated.

In Hatcher’s first year, the Eagles were one game away from winning a Southern Conference championship and berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs. Last year Georgia Southern won the season finale to finish 6-5.

This season the Eagles failed to win consecutive games, and snapped a three-game losing streak following Saturday’s win over The Citadel. The all-time winningest program in FCS playoff history (38-10), Georgia Southern failed to reach the postseason for the fourth straight year.