SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Utah coach Jim Boylen was fired on Saturday, two days after the Utes ended a second straight losing season with a loss to San Diego State in the first round of the Mountain West Conference tournament.
Athletic director Chris Hill said a national search for a replacement would begin immediately.
During four seasons at Utah, Boylen compiled a 69-60 overall record, including 32-32 in conference play. This season, the Utes finished with a 13-18 overall record and 6-10 in the conference. Last season, Utah went 14-17 overall.
“I feel it is time we go in a different direction for our program,” Hill said in a statement. “Utah basketball has a long history of national success and I anticipate a very strong pool of candidates for the position.”
Boylen’s best season was his second, when he guided the Utes to a 24-10 record, a tie for the MWC regular season title and a conference tournament championship. That team earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and fell in the first round to Arizona in 2009.
“I appreciate the efforts of Coach Boylen and his staff, including the emphasis he placed on academics, which is an important part of our department’s culture,” Hill said.
Boylen, 45, was a 13-year NBA assistant prior becoming Tom Izzo’s top assistant at Michigan State from 2005-07.
There was no immediate comment from Boylen, who after the season-ending loss to San Diego State said he wasn’t worried about his job security. He insisted his team was on the verge of big things as the program moves to the Pac-12 next year.
“The league was very powerful this year. It was very good top to bottom. It was not a good year to be in a rebuilding mode with five guys that never played Division 1 basketball,” Boylen said. “But I’m encouraged and I like this group … I haven’t worried about my job status at all.”
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