 The players, who learned of the news from reporters rather than directly from McKay, were saddened by the announcement.Area fans, who had long been calling for McKay's resignation, were generally pleased by the decision.Howard Schnellenberger was the coach most popular among fans as a possible replacement, while Wayne Fontes was the popular choice among players and coaches, although Fontes was considered to be hampered by the perception that he would not be enough of a change, due to his 13 years of assistantship to McKay.