Virginia announces coach Pete Gillen is gone after seven years

By

Posted 7:34PM on Monday, March 14, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) Pete Gillen stepped down as Virginia's basketball coach Monday, ending a seven-year stay marked by bad luck, recruiting mistakes and only one trip to the NCAA tournament. ``The team did not reach the goals we thought were achievable entering the 2004-05 season,'' athletic director Craig Littlepage said during a media briefing at University Hall. ``There is, however, a solid foundation in place provided by Pete and his staff.'' Littlepage said he and Gillen during a recent discussion concluded the time was right for Gillen to leave. The university said in a statement that under the terms of Gillen's contract he will receive a buyout of approximately $2 million. ``I have said many times the University of Virginia is a special place and I still feel that way,'' Gillen said in a statement distributed by the university. ``I appreciate the opportunity given to me as the head coach and feel it is in the best interest of all that I step aside at this time.'' Littlepage said in a brief statement to reporters ``There's not a classier person in the coaching profession anywhere than Pete Gillen.'' Littlepage declined to take questions. Littlepage said a search for a new coach will begin immediately and is expected to take four to six weeks. Among the names prominently mentioned already are Texas coach Rick Barnes, who once agreed to leave Providence for the Virginia job but later changed his mind, Kentucky's Tubby Smith and Mike Brey of Notre Dame. Gillen, 57, had six years remaining on a 10-year, $9 million contract he signed after the 2000-01 season, but Littlepage has repeatedly said expectations for this season were high and that a $130 million, 15,000-seat arena due to open in 2006 mandated a turnaround in the men's program. Virginia returned four starters this year and welcomed three freshmen, including point guard Sean Singletary, one of their top recruits since Ralph Sampson. After winning eight of nine games and climbing into the top 25, the Cavaliers faltered once Atlantic Coast Conference play began. They finished 14-15 overall and 4-12 in the expanded ACC, becoming the first team to be seeded 11th in the conference tournament. After beating sixth-seeded Miami 66-65 in the first round, the Cavaliers lost 76-64 to eventual champion Duke in the quarterfinals, Gillen's last game as coach. After the game, Gillen declined to take questions about his future. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA tournament just once in Gillen's seven seasons, in 2000-01, and that season and his success with an undermanned team his first two years prompted the long-term deal. But Gillen's future at Virginia has been tenuous the past two seasons, and it took Littlepage several weeks after a speculation-filled end of last season to announce that Gillen would return for his seventh year. Gillen's arrival in Charlottesville seemed a logical next step after he made his mark at Xavier and then Providence, leading his teams to eight NCAA tournaments and three NITs in 13 years. He also won five coach of the year honors at Xavier, and had a career record of 274-128. At Virginia, however, his record was just 118-93. The Cavaliers also made four trips to the NIT, never getting past the second round, and were just 2-7 in the ACC tournament for a postseason mark of 4-12 under Gillen. In three of the last four seasons, the Cavaliers have used early-season success to get into the polls, and each time the start of league play sparked a steady fade all the way to last place this season. The Cavaliers started 8-1 this year, but lost their first five ACC games all by double-digit margins for the first time since Gillen's first year. The fell to 1-7 in the league on Jan. 29, trailing North Carolina 62-26 at halftime, by as many as 50 later and losing 110-76. Associated Press Sports Writer Hank Kurz contributed to this report from Richmond. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)