DURHAM, N.C. - Duke Director of Athletics Joe Alleva announced on Monday that head football coach Ted Roof has been dismissed from his post.

"Following several conversations between Coach Roof and myself over the past two days, I have decided to move in a different direction with our football program," Alleva said. "Coach Roof embodies everything that Duke represents and his commitment to this University and his job was unwavering. He is an outstanding family man, a man of great integrity, and among the classiest individuals with whom I have worked. I truly appreciate his service to Duke and how he represented himself, his family and this school. That is why this decision was so difficult.

"However, after our annual evaluation of the program, I believe that we need to make a change based on the results we were seeing on the field each week. Over the past several years, we have made the commitment to upgrading our football program and we will continue to do so. Our ultimate goal for football, as with all of our programs, is to pursue and achieve excellence. We are taking the proper steps to see that will happen. We must win in football at Duke, while maintaining our deepest commitment to the educational values of the institution."

A former All-ACC linebacker at Georgia Tech, Roof took over the program seven games into the 2003 season, guiding the Blue Devils to a 2-3 record as interim head coach to conclude the year. He was named head coach on December 6, 2003 and posted records of 2-9, 1-10, 0-12 and 1-11 for a cumulative ledger of 6-45 including a 3-33 mark in ACC play.

Roof served two stints as an assistant coach at Duke as a member of Barry Wilson’s staff from 1990-93 and under Carl Franks from 2002 until taking the reigns midway through the 2003 season. The 1987 Georgia Tech graduate also logged assistant coaching tenures at Alabama (1987-88), West Georgia (1989), Massachusetts (1994-96), Western Carolina (1997) and Georgia Tech (1998-01).

"I support Joe Alleva’s decision, which I know was not an easy one," said Duke President Dr. Richard H. Brodhead. "Ted Roof has earned the highest respect from everyone he’s worked with, and we’re grateful for what he has accomplished. But though our team has showed progress, we have yet to reach the success we’re looking for. Duke is committed to developing excellence in football and I am confident that with new leadership, we will achieve this goal."

Alleva said that a national search for a head coach will begin immediately. "I will lead the search for our new coach and complete that process as soon as possible. I emphasize the word ‘process’ as this critical decision cannot be rushed. We will identify the candidate that we feel best fits the needs of this unique program, and on a larger scale, the excellence that is expected of everyone working at Duke University."

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DURHAM, N.C. - A thick, heavy gray fog surrounded Wallace Wade Stadium and Cameron Indoor Stadium Tuesday afternoon.

The murky haze provided an appropriate backdrop for a somber occasion as Duke athletic director Joe Alleva announced the dismissal of head football coach Ted Roof and discussed his plans to find a successor.

It was obvious that Alleva took no pleasure in his action.

"Whenever you make a change, it’s difficult," Alleva said. "It’s really difficult when you have a man like Ted Roof, who exemplifies all the values and the integrity that you want in a head coach.

"I want to thank Ted for what he’s done for Duke University. There’s no doubt in my mind that we have a better program and a better football team now than when he took over. That being said, I thought it was time to make a change and move forward."

The reason for the change was summed up by Roof’s record at Duke - 6-45 overall and just 3-33 in ACC play. Last spring, when Alleva and Roof met with many former Blue Devil players at the first Duke Football Summit, they promised that the program was making progress toward the goal of earning bowl eligibility in 2008.

But after a 1-11 finish this fall – a season that culminated Saturday with an overtime loss to North Carolina – Alleva said he was forced to act.

"It boiled down to the fact that I did not see enough progress on the field to warrant bringing Ted back," the Blue Devil athletic director said. "It comes down to the point where you need to win some games."

Roof, who met with the media after Alleva’s press conference, made it clear that he would have liked one more season to see his five-year rebuilding plan pay off.

"Although we didn’t get it done on the field, those closest to the team know we have been making progress," Roof said. "I think the program is in better shape than it was four years ago."

That progress should make it easier for the man Alleva hires to replace Roof to take Duke to the next level. So should several planned changes to the program that have been recommended by a Strategic Plan for Duke Football.

"We went around to 22 schools and gathered a lot of information about how other schools do things – how they recruit, the type of kids they get into school, their budgets," Alleva said. "That information is helpful to put together a plan that is specific to Duke University. I believe that the coach is the key. With the right budget and the right facilities, the coach is the one who has to attract the student-athletes."

But finding the right coach has been difficult in the 42 years since Bill Murray retired in 1965 after winning seven ACC titles in the first 13 years of the league. Duke has had nine head coaches in the last four decades and just one has left with a winning record – Steve Spurrier, who was 20-13-1 in three seasons from 1987-89. Alleva has made two hires, replacing Fred Goldsmith (17-39 in five seasons) with Carl Franks (7-45 in four and a half seasons) and replacing Franks with Roof midway through the 2003 season.

"Nobody has a crystal ball when it comes to picking coaches," Alleva said. "The two coaches that I hired where young assistant coaches that I felt had real promise. I think this time I need to hire someone who has been a head coach."

Later, Alleva expanded on his requirements. He doesn’t have an age frame in mind, but he said he’d prefer a coach with Division 1-A head coaching experience and he’d like a coach with a strong offensive background.

"I think we need to score some points," Alleva said.

Alleva will head a search committee that will also include at least two former athletes and two faculty members.

"I think we have to find someone who is the right fit for Duke University," Alleva said. "There are a lot of big-name coaches out there that I don’t think would be the right fit. One of the things we’re not going to do is compromise our academic integrity. What we have to do is find the right coach that can combine our academics with a high level of football knowledge and recruiting ability."

Alleva insisted that, despite reports to the contrary, Duke is determined to succeed on the football field.

"We’ve made some tremendous strides with the Yoh Center and the practice fields," he pointed out. "We’re working on Wallace Wade. We’re going to get that improved. We’ve added staff.

"We’ve got a commitment here to football. Most of you [in the media] may not believe that, but we have a tremendous commitment to football. When you look at our athletic department, it’s the one element in our department that does not live up to Duke’s standards of excellence. We have to correct that."

And even on a dark, foggy day and with the disappointment surrounding the necessity of another coaching change, Alleva can see a better day ahead for the Blue Devils.

"I think the future of Duke football is bright," he said.

They're gonna have to do something similar to what Wake Forest did with their team from last season as far as recruiting. At least they gave him four years which is one more than most coaches get.