Awkward coaching situation for Spartans

WASHINGTON — For the third consecutive year the Military Bowl had coaching news.

Having rebuilt San Jose State (10-2), Mike MacIntyre left for Colorado after the Spartans accepted the bid that will have them facing Bowling Green (8-4) today at RFK Stadium. Defensive coordinator Kent Baer was selected as the interim coach for the game and wanted the job full-time, but he wasn’t even granted an interview.

San Diego’s Ron Caragher was hired, and Baer is going to follow MacIntyre to Colorado.

Caragher has already started to set up shop during Baer’s final days at the school. Caragher is traveling with the team to the nation’s capital as an observer.

“In some ways, it can be very confusing,” said Baer. “Sometimes it’s confusing to me, to be honest with you. But once we get out to practice and we’re handling our business in meetings, it’s this group of coaches and this group of players that’s been here all year. That’s how we’re handling it. It’s going to be his football team after this, but not ’til.”

The shake-up has jarred the players just as they were hoping to put an exclamation point on perhaps the best season in school history. The No. 24 Spartans are playing in a bowl for the first time since 2006 and will be trying to win 11 games in a season for the first time since 1940.