Tommy West, the former Clemson head football coach who came to Memphis in 2000 as defensive coordinator, was hired as the Tigers' 21st head coach on November 30, 2000. The hiring has proven to be very beneficial for the U of M football program, as the popular coach has led the Tigers to a 24-13 record the last three years, as well as three-consecutive bowl appearances for the first time ever in Tiger football history.

In just his last three years, West has turned the Tigers into a nationally-recognized program that is enjoying success unmatched by any previous U of M squad.

The Gainesville, Ga., native helped snap a 32-year U of M bowl drought in 2003 when he led his squad to a 9-4 record, which included a victory over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. The last time that the U of M had been extended a bowl invitation was during the 1971 season when Memphis defeated San Jose State in the Pasadena Bowl.

The 2003 season was viewed by many as "magical," and the bowl victory propelled Memphis into the spotlight and gave the Tiger faithful a renewed spirit and heightened expectations. West became just the fourth coach in school history to claim nine wins in a single season, and for his efforts, he was named the Coach of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.

West and his Tigers embarked on the 2004 season knowing the bar had been raised and, with a veteran quarterback and an All-American running back, expectations were going to remain high. The Tigers opened the 2004 campaign with a 5-1 record, marking the best start for a Memphis squad since 1967. During that time, West led the Tigers into the national spotlight as Memphis defeated Ole Miss for the second-straight season and was listed No. 25 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. It was the first time ever that the Tigers were ranked by the national entity.

Memphis also gained national attention as four of its last five games of the season were broadcast nationally by ESPN, including a Thursday night meeting with Louisville which was a battle to the end for both squads. A week after the Louisville game, the Tigers reached another milestone for the program as the U of M became bowl eligible with a win over Southern Miss. Memphis notched wins over East Carolina and USF on the road before ending the regular season at 8-3.

The eight wins marked the first time since the 1962 and 1963 seasons that Memphis had won eight or more games in back-to-back seasons, while the consecutive bowl appearances were also a first in the program's history. West took his Tigers to Mobile, Ala., for the GMAC Bowl and dropped a hard-fought decision to Bowling Green.

West has also generated major excitement in the city of Memphis for his Tigers. That was evident in 2004 when, despite the games being nationally-televised by ESPN, nearly 100,000 total fans turned out for the final two home games of the season. The 52,384 fans that witnessed Memphis drop a hard-fought 56-49 decision to then-14th ranked Louisville on ESPN, and the 47,163 fans who watched Memphis become bowl eligible with a 30-26 win over Southern Miss on ESPN2 helped the Tigers set an attendance record at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Memphis averaged 41,175 fans in its five home games, and the Louisville game marked the largest crowd to attend a Memphis game versus a non-Southeastern Conference opponent.