Colorado State quarterback Pete Thomas, who made 21 starts for the Rams in two seasons, decided to leave the program because he was disappointed that the school fired Steve Fairchild. According to the Reporter-Herald, Fairchild's ouster "hit [Thomas] hard," as it was Fairchild who recruited and brought him to CSU.
Thomas says he spoke with new head coach Jim McElwain on several occasions but ultimately chose to move on and start fresh somewhere else:
"I sat down with Coach McElwain a few times and had a good talk with him, but in the end, I decided this was the right thing for me to do," Thomas said. "I needed a new start, and I am looking for that opportunity. When I committed to CSU, I never thought of Fairchild or the staff being fired, but it's a business. You can't go 3-9 three years in a row and expect to keep your job. That's real tough, but it's on us players. It was definitely a hard situation."
Thomas threw for 1,607 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2011.
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