UL AD addresses abrupt firing of men's basketball coach Bob Marlin
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- Bob Marlin was relieved of his duties as UL men's basketball coach on Thursday. Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Bryan Maggard met with the media on Friday morning to address the coaching change and the conversations between him and Marlin.
Maggard said he has been assessing the basketball program for some time. He named a pair of factors that went into the decision to cut ties with Marlin at this point in the season.
The Cajuns won its 2024-25 Sun Belt Conference opener the day before Marlin's firing, but have won just three of their 12 games this season.
"This was not a decision made in haste whatsoever," Maggard said. "But as you just kind of look at the overall decline in fan base and fan support and overall interest in our program, we just determined that now would be the time to let Coach know that we wanted to make a change at the end of the season and again, ideally honor him and provide him a very soft landing going out, one that he deserved to finish the season."
Maggard said the decision when to go was left up to Marlin, which he earned after dedicating his life to Louisiana basketball over the past 14-plus years. Maggard explained the options that he presented Marlin ahead of the decision to part ways on Thursday.
"We asked him and offered him to coach through the season and that we would put out a retirement release," Maggard said. "Actually, today and then that his retirement would have been effective June 30. So he would have been here for the remainder of the season all the way through. June gave Coach that opportunity to think about that. And he informed me yesterday at an assigned time that we had that he did not want to go that route and that he preferred to go the route that we took yesterday."
The Cajuns will be led the rest of the season by interim head coach Derrick Zimmerman. Maggard explained what went into the decision of appointing Zimmerman.
"I just felt like watching Coach Z, you know, from afar a little bit. I just felt like he maybe had the slight edge to do this," he said. "And I know he's got tremendous respect from the players."
When it comes to finding their next head coach Maggard says he wants someone who can build positive relationships with student-athletes, is relentless on the recruiting trail, committed to player development, a proven winner, and someone that is dedicated to academic success of student-athletes. No candidates were named.
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