Dave Roberts to Coach Baylor

Dave Roberts, offensive coordinator under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, was hired as Baylor’s football coach on Thursday.

Roberts worked at Notre Dame for the last three years. He declined an offer to remain at the school after Holtz’s recent resignation.

In previous stops as coach at Western Kentucky and Northeast Louisiana, Roberts had a 10-year record of 63-50-3 with five playoff appearances.

Roberts, 49, replaces Chuck Reedy, who was fired Nov. 24, one day after a blowout loss that left the Bears at 4-7, their worst record since 1978.

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Tony Samuel, who for the last decade has helped shape Nebraska’s powerful defense, was named coach at New Mexico State.

Samuel, 41, takes over a program that was 1-10 this season and has had only two winning seasons since 1968.

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Bill Stewart resigned after three seasons as Virginia Military Institute’s coach, citing personal reasons.

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Austin Peay, coming off its 12th consecutive losing season, will no longer offer scholarships and will compete as a non-scholarship Division I-AA program in 1998.