EUGENE, Ore. — Ernie Kent, the winningest coach in Oregon history, was dismissed Tuesday after 13 seasons with his alma mater.
“You may find a better basketball coach, but I don’t think you’ll find anybody that has the passion and love that I have for this university,” said Kent, who had to pause for several moments to fight back his emotions.
Oregon went 16-16 overall and 7-11 in the Pac-10 this past season, finishing with a 90-74 quarterfinal loss to California in the conference tournament.
Kent, 55, leaves Oregon with a 235-173 overall record. But the Ducks have slipped in the past two seasons, going 24-39 and finishing 10th and ninth, respectively, in conference play.
Attendance has also dipped from an average of 7,922 in 2008-09 to 7,122 this past season.
Kent was the longest tenured Pac-10 coach. He took Oregon to the NCAA tournament five times, advancing twice to the round of eight.
He played at Oregon from 1973-77, part of the so-called Kamakazi Kids under coach Dick Harter.
Oregon athletic director Mike Bellotti said Oregon terminated Kent’s contract effective June 30. He cited his record and declining attendance at MacArthur Court.
“I think the accomplishments that Ernie has done speak for themselves,” said Bellotti, who admitted it was a difficult decision. “He’s given his life to the university as a student, a teacher and a coach.”
The dismissal had been rumored for the past two weeks, after Eugene’s KVAL-TV reported that Kent had been informed on Feb. 22 that he would not return as the Ducks’ coach.
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