UALR is parting ways with its all-time winningest men's basketball coach.
Athletic Director Chasse Conque announced in a statement Wednesday evening that Steve Shields had been fired with one year remaining on his contract.
Shields year-by-year
A year-by-year look at Steve Shields’ 12-year tenure as UALR’s head coach, with his overall record, conference record and Sun Belt Conference finish:
YEAR;ALL;CONF.;FINISH
2015;13-18;8-12;Seventh
2014;15-17;9-9;Fifth
2013;17-15;11-9;2nd West
2012;15-16;12-4;1st West
2011;19-17;7-9;5th West*
2010;8-22;4-14;6th West
2009;23-8;15-3;1st West
2008;20-11;11-7;T-1st West
2007;13-17;8-10;5th West
2006;14-15;5-9;4th East
2005;18-10;10-4;1st East
2004;17-12;9-5;1st East
TOTALS;192-178;109-95
*NCAA Tournament
Conque, who took over as UALR's athletic director Jan. 20, said a national search for Shields' replacement will begin immediately.
"This was a tough decision, but one that I felt was best for our program at this time," Conque said in the statement.
The athletic director declined further comment when reached Wednesday night, and Shields did not respond to a message seeking comment. Shields, 50, expressed appreciation in a statement for Porter Moser, who brought him to campus as an assistant in 2000, former athletic director Chris Peterson, who promoted him to head coach in 2003, and fans.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time working at UALR," Shields said. "The relationships that I've developed over my 15 years here will always be cherished. I want to say a special thanks to our players and staff who have been outstanding to work with.
"I've also enjoyed working with Chancellor [Joel] Anderson, and I wish him and Chasse Conque the best moving forward."
Shields, who was recruiting out of state over the weekend, had one year left on a contract extension he signed in August worth $228,843 per season. He was 192-178 in 12 seasons with five Sun Belt division titles and one conference tournament title.
Conque and Shields met Wednesday morning at the Jack Stephens Center.
At about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, a few UALR players were seen leaving the arena but none offered comment. Not long after, Shields was shaking hands and speaking with a few members of the athletic department in an event-level foyer.
When approached, Shields acknowledged he and Conque had met Wednesday morning and said the meeting was "good." When asked if he were still the basketball coach, Shields declined comment.
The firing came six days after UALR's 57-55 loss to South Alabama in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament, the third time in the past four seasons the Trojans failed to win a game in the conference tournament. UALR finished 13-18, its second consecutive losing season and its third in the past four seasons.
Shields spoke optimistically from Lakefront Arena after that loss about heading onto the recruiting trail and UALR's offseason program.
Shields' 192 victories are well past former coach Mike Newell's total victories (133) and is tied with Happy Mahfouz (1967-1979) as being the longest-tenured UALR coach. Shields arrived as an assistant under Moser in 2000, when UALR played its home games at what was then Alltel Arena in North Little Rock and the Stephens Center was still five years from opening.
Shields was promoted to head coach after Moser left for Illinois State in 2003. His best seasons came in 2007-2008, when the Trojans went 20-11, and in 2008-2009, when they went 23-8.
The Trojans missed out on the postseason in each of those years and didn't crack into a national tournament until 2011. That year, the Trojans finished fifth in the Sun Belt West Division but won four games in four days to win the conference tournament title and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1990.
UALR lost to North Carolina-Asheville 81-77 in a play-in game, and has struggled to build momentum ever since.
The Trojans lost in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament in each of the next two seasons. Last year UALR lost five consecutive games in February, a stretch that included a season-ending shoulder injury to All-Sun Belt forward Will Neighbour.
Shields received a one-year extension in August, and this season the Trojans were picked to finish third in the Sun Belt. They lost their first four league games and never got on track.
Shields' teams had a reputation of playing solid defense, but this year's team ranked ninth or lower in the Sun Belt in scoring defense (70.3 points per game), field-goal percentage defense (44.4 percent) and three-point percentage defense (37.0).
No interim coach has been named, and Conque did not lay out a timeline for a hire.
"We are confident this is an attractive position that will garner interest from high-quality candidates across the country," Conque said. "The opportunity to lead a Division I program in a vibrant, metropolitan area is unique and appealing on several levels."
Sports on 03/19/2015