Florida Atlantic has found its new coach.
Arkansas assistant head coach and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has agreed to replace Carl Pelini, who resigned on Oct. 30.
Partridge was in charge of an Arkansas defense that was one of the worst in the SEC, ranking 12th out of 14 teams. Partridge had worked under coach Bret Bielema for the past six seasons, including five at Arkansas.
Florida Atlantic ended the season on an upswing despite being mired in controversy. Florida Atlantic claimed Pelini and former defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis acknowledged using illegal drugs, which prompted Pelini's resignation. It was later determined that Pelini had not used illegal drugs, but failed to exercise control over his staff. His resignation was rescinded and the school decided to fire him.
Offensive coordinator Brian Wright became the interim head coach and went 4-0. FAU won five of its final seven games and led Conference USA in total defense.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!Follow @YahooDrSaturday