The Marist College Athletic Department has announced that they have fired head basketball coach Mike Maker after four seasons with the program.
The athletic department’s press release noted that they have elected to make a “change in leadership” within the men’s basketball program. The decision comes just under a week after Athletic Director Tim Murray told Center Field that Maker would be staying on for another season.
“I have the utmost respect for Mike in the way he led our men’s basketball program,” said Murray. “From the day he stepped on campus, Mike guided our program with class and integrity. The program accurately represented our expectations in the classroom and community, but ultimately we had to make a decision that was in the long-term best interest of the team.”
In four seasons at the helm of the program, Maker went 28-96, including a last-place finish in the MAAC this season at 6-24. Their season came to close last week after a 71-57 first-round MAAC Tournament loss to the Fairfield Stags.
Murray had previously noted that Maker’s progress was understandably taking more time than what had maybe been the initial plan due to “what [they] were doing with personnel.” Maker brought in the likes of Brian Parker and Ryan Funk, who will experience their senior seasons with a new head coach.
Speaking to Center Field Editor-in-Chief Marco Schaden last week, Tim Murray said “I thought that this year there were times when I was very pleased with our play and then there were times we had a lack of concentration where there was some disappointment in our play.” The Red Foxes defense ranked 18th worst out of 351 programs this season.
In reference to the coaching change, Murray said, “Marist strives for excellence both on the basketball court and in the classroom… Our goal is to compete for a MAAC championship each year.”
That goal will be sought after with a new coach come next season. The search for a new head coach will begin immediately.