End (or Beginning) of an Era

Earlier today the University of Toledo held a press conference to officially announce that UT head basketball coach Stan Joplin was relieved of his duties yesterday. Toledo Director of Athletics Mike O'Brien addressed the media about Stan Joplin and the future of men's basketball at UT.

Athletic Director Mike O’Brien today announced the dismissal of Stan Joplin as UT’s head men’s basketball coach. Thanking Joplin for his years of service, Mr. O’Brien said it was time to move the program in a new direction. A national search will be conducted for Joplin’s replacement, with a committee still to be formed.

Joplin served as men’s basketball head coach for 12 years, compiling a 203-155 overall record, 122-89 in conference play. His teams won the West division 4 times and placed 2nd another 4 seasons. His tenure included 4 trips to the NIT, advancing to the 2nd round in the 2000-2001 season.

O’Brien said the decision to replace Joplin was made before the start of the MAC tourney in Cleveland last week, and he sat down with Coach Joplin on Sunday. Asked how Stan took the news, Mike said his reaction was what one might expect: surprise, disappointmen, but that Stan took it as a gentleman, as always.

There was no single reason for the dismissal, rather what O’Brien referred to as the “whole body of work” that led to the decision. Asked whether the Rockets’ dismal recruiting class this past year, in which only 3 of 8 signees qualified, had an effect, O’Brien first gave Joplin praise for the work he’s done with his team’s academics, but said that yes, this class did have an effect. And while not assigning blame to Joplin, O’Brien allowed that there was a certain segment of the UT ticket base that had dropped their season tickets as a direct result of the play on the court.

One reporter asked what I’m sure many were wondering: did this decision have anything to do with the gambling allegations that arose last season? His reply was an emphatic “No, none whatsoever. This was a basketball decision.” In that scandal, football player Scooter McDougal was charged in an FBI affidavit with involvement with a Detroit gambler, and implications have been made that other football and basketball players may have also been involved in “affecting the outcome of games”.

O’Brien fielded a number of questions on the next head coach: what the university will be looking for, what type of coach, what will be expected of him, if there were any candidates he had in mind. To that last question he said yes, but he wasn’t going to share that list right now. He did say that the committee will go through the process, looking for a coach who can get the community excited again, who can re-establish UT’s basketball reputation, who will be a good “fit” for the university. Implicit in his answers were expectations of reaching the NCAA tournament in the future.

“Opportunity” is the word O’Brien used to describe what a prospective coach might think of the head coaching job at Toledo. The renovation of Savage Hall, he said, has a coach saying “that’s the place I want to be.” The search committee will be charged with “finding the best coach we can get”, and O’Brien would put no further parameters on that qualification.

Certainly, the coming early signing period puts UT at something of a disadvantage in the recruiting process. Current assistant coaches are still employed at the university, and O’Brien has met with them and discussed current UT commitments. Each of the assistants has told O’Brien that they will be contacting the high school players who have made commitments. Whether these recruits will stay committed to UT or elect to go elsewhere is anyone’s guess. And of course there is the new head coach and his desire to bring in his own players and coaches; no one can determine that at this time either. So for now, we are left to wish Coach Joplin the very best with a heart-felt “thank you”, and look forward to the beginning of a new era of Rocket basketball success.