Stan Heath Fired, University of Arkansas says

By The Associated Press , Scott Cain

Photo by Michael Woods

University of Arkansas coach Stan Heath watches his team during the first half of Arkansas 83-72 loss to Tennessee.

ADVERSTISMENT

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas fired basketball coach Stan Heath on Monday, the school announced.

Arkansas spokesman Kevin Trainor said Heath and athletic director Frank Broyles met Monday morning, and Broyles informed Heath of the decision.

"The decision to make a coaching change was difficult due to the respect I have for Stan Heath," Broyles said in a release. "He represented the University of Arkansas with professionalism and integrity. ... However, in my professional judgment, it is best that the program move forward under new leadership in our efforts to return Razorback basketball to national prominence."

A search for a new coach has begun, the school said in the release issued at 2 p.m.

The school owes Heath $900,000 over three years as compensation for firing him, according to the terms of contract.

Heath took over a dilapidated program lacking talent and swagger five years ago after the school fired Nolan Richardson. Heath restored the program to competitive status but could not push it back into college basketball's upper class.

Arkansas went 79-65 in Heath's five seasons and was 35-54 in SEC games. He steered the Razorbacks into the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons and they lost in the first round both times.

Both NCAA appearances came after the team languished through much of SEC play and then made a late charge to qualify.

Arkansas has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 1999, the second-longest drought among SEC schools. Only South Carolina has gone longer, not winning one since 1973.

The other 10 SEC teams have combined to win 57 NCAA Tournament games since 2000.

Arkansas, which appeared in three Final Fours in the 1990s, never did crack The Associated Press top 25 poll under Heath.

Economics most likely figured into the decision to fire Heath. Season tickets are down 2,000 during his tenure to 14,779, a low since Walton Arena opened for the 1994 season. The school designates up to 17,700 seats to be sold as season tickets.

The 2007 season was the fourth in a row that all the games did not sell out at 19,200-seat Walton Arena. Walton and its predecessor, Barnhill Arena, sold out 334 consecutive games from the 1977 through 2003 seasons.

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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Information for this article was contributed by the Associated Press