6:40 P.M. UPDATE:
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Chancellor Laurence Alexander told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Thursday that the school will not be renewing the contract of athletic director Lonza Hardy Jr.
Alexander said that Hardy’s contract had expired in June and that Hardy was working with his usual duties and salary until the school decided whether it was going to renew the contract.
“It’s not all that unusual,” Alexander said. “Particularly if you’re not ready to extend, or if you’re in the process of evaluating and making a decision. We had several seasons going on, and as you know, just last fall we made a coaching change in football. So we quite frankly had a lot going on.”
Hardy had told the Democrat-Gazette earlier Thursday that Alexander had told him during their weekly meeting Tuesday that the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees had issued Alexander a directive to dismiss Hardy.
“There was no directive,” Alexander said. “I did tell him that we weren’t going to be renewing his contract and that I would be giving him a letter, a notice informing him that his contract, that his term is coming to an end.”
Alexander said he delivered the official letter to Hardy Thursday afternoon.
Hardy issued his own personal news release to Arkansas news outlets Thursday morning in which he outlined his imminent departure.
“That kind of caught me by surprise,” Alexander said.
Alexander said associate athletics director Alyse Wells-Kilbert will be appointed interim athletic director and a national search for a new athletic director will begin Friday.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
EARLIER:
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Athletic Director Lonza Hardy Jr. told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Thursday that he is waiting for an official letter from Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander that will inform him of his dismissal from the university.
Hardy said that the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees gave Alexander a directive to make a change at athletic director when the board met for an executive session last Thursday.
Hardy is expecting official word "to come any moment" from Alexander.
Hardy said he was "not really sure what the official reasoning is behind the change." But he said he knew even back in November, when the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville fired Athletic Director Jeff Long, that there were also "concerns about the progress of our football program."
Hardy did not renew the contract of head football Coach Monte Coleman, and it expired on Dec. 31. UAPB on Dec. 27 introduced Alcorn State defensive coordinator Cedric Thomas as its next head football coach.
Hardy said his decision to make the change was independent, and "not because it was something the board wanted."
Hardy was hired at UAPB on Sept. 6, 2011. The Golden Lions football program went 27-51 (.346) during his tenure, winning the 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship, and the men's basketball program went 70-137 (.295). The men's basketball team is currently 8-15 (8-1 SWAC) and in first place in the conference standings.