Fort Collins, CO -- (Sports Network) - Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild is returning to his alma mater, having been named the new head coach at Colorado State Wednesday.

Fairchild will become just the 19th head coach in the program's 115-year history, replacing longtime Rams head man Sonny Lubick, fired last month after 15 seasons.

"Steve Fairchild has a long-standing history of success at Colorado State both as a student-athlete and coach," said CSU director of athletics Paul Kowalczyk. "I know that he has great passion for this university, this program and this community."

Fairchild first arrived in Fort Collins in 1978 as a junior college transfer, and eventually developed into the Rams' full-time starting quarterback as a senior in 1980.

Following stints as an assistant at San Diego Mesa Community College, Ferris State, San Diego State and the University of New Mexico, Fairchild took the job as CSU's quarterbacks coach in 1993, and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1997.

A member of Lubick's original staff, Fairchild remained at Colorado State until 2001, when he assumed the role of running backs coach with the Bills. He spent two seasons in Buffalo during his first tour of duty before moving on to St. Louis to become the offensive coordinator for the Rams from 2003-2005. He then returned to the Bills for the 2006 campaign and has spent the last two seasons there, mentoring quarterbacks J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards.

"At both the professional and college levels, he has a reputation of developing young players and helping them reach their maximum potential," Kowalczyk said of Fairchild. "That is an attractive trait in our program."

Colorado State is coming off a 3-9 campaign that featured just two wins in the Mountain West Conference and included a dreadful 0-6 start. The Rams did beat Georgia Southern and Wyoming to finish the season on a high note, but it wasn't enough to save Lubick's job.

In his 15 seasons, Lubick compiled a 108-74 record and guided CSU to nine bowl games on his way to becoming the school's all-time winningest coach.