Chris Ball fired: Why was the Northern Arizona HC dismissed? Predicting potential reasons behind the move

NArizona Ball Fired Football — Chris Ball fired: what could have caused this?

Northern Arizona football saw coach Chris Ball fired on Monday after spending five seasons with the program. The Lumberjacks had a decent 2023 season, finishing fourth in the Big Sky Conference with a 5-6, 5-3 record.

Their season wrapped up last week with a 49-42 road victory over the Eastern Washington Eagles, but the school announced Monday they were not renewing Ball's contract.

But why would the team decide to move on from coach Chris Ball? Let's discuss some potential reasons.

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Chris Ball fired reason #1: Lack of success

The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks are not known as a great college football program, but Chris Ball's tenure was not a glaring success. He finished with a 20-30 record and failed to win consistently.

Ball only finished with a winning record in a pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season with a 3-2 record. Maybe NAU athletic director Mike Marlow decided he wanted someone else to lead and try to get winning seasons.

Chris Ball fired reason #2: Needed a New Voice

Sometimes, when a coach is in one position for a while, the message in the locker room grows stale. It is a little more difficult in college football because the roster changes, but with programs that do not produce many NFL players that leave early, such as the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, their roster has been very similar throughout Chris Ball's tenure, which began five years ago.

Whether it be a different member of his coaching staff or a completely new face entering the program, the message could have gotten stale. Having a new person to play for can re-energize the program going forward and make the Lumberjacks play better with a new brain leading the way.

Chris Ball fired reason #3: Wanted to test his market

This decision may be more mutual than originally announced. Think about it: Coach Ball had a successful season where he went 5-3 in the Big Sky in a contract year. Maybe Ball decided he wanted to try to move on from this coaching position and try to elevate into a Power Five program.

There will always be coaching changes, but Ball has proven he can be a strong defensive coordinator with Arizona State, Washington State, Alabama and Memphis throughout his career. What if he wanted a new challenge and test his market for a new place to call home?

About the author

Vincent is a College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with close to 6 years of experience. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Sport Business from Saint Leo University, and has worked with Pasco News Publications and Pro Football Focus.

Vincent's education has helped him approach sports writing from the understanding of what it takes to run a program/team and the business side of it. He has interviewed dozens of players, coaches and analysts and believes he asks the questions readers are interested in.

He ensures that the source is credible and cross-checks information before reporting to ensure accuracy and relevance in his articles.

Vincent doesn’t have a favorite team or player, as he tries to remain unbiased. However, he considers John Wooden the greatest coach of all time and the 1990 “Fifth Down Game” between Colorado and Missouri the most iconic College Sports moment.

For Vincent, College Sports is on par with the pro leagues as it is a professional pipeline with media rights deals and a free agency of sorts. He plays video games and hangs out with friends and family when he’s away from his keyboard.

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Edited by R. Elahi