Pistons < Spurs
03-17-2007, 03:12 PM
After six seasons as Michigan's basketball coach, Tommy Amaker has been fired, SI.com has confirmed.
Amaker, who earlier confirmed his firing to The Associated Press, was expected to appear at a news conference later in the day. But he told the AP: "I'm not going to make excuses."
Amaker's dismissal was first reported by the Detroit Free-Press. Amaker was fired today after meeting with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin, the newspaper said.
"Letting Tommy go was the toughest decision I've had to make in seven years as athletic director," Michigan athletic director Bill Martin told The Associated Press. "He took over a program that needed help, and he helped it in a lot of ways. But at Michigan, we have a tradition of winning Big Ten and national championships and we haven't been close to doing either in a lot of ways."
Amaker finished 108-83 and won more than 20 games three times but failed to reach the NCAA tournament, coming close the past two years.
He was under contract through the 2010-11 season, but the school could fire him without cause by giving him $900,000, according to his contract that was obtained last week by The Associated Press in a Freedom of Information Act request.
The school said in a statement that Martin discussed his decision with Amaker on Saturday morning. The team's season ended Thursday night with a 87-66 loss at Florida State in the second-tier tournament, finishing 22-13.
Michigan hired Amaker on hired March 29, 2001, after firing Brian Ellerbe.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/ncaa/03/17/amaker.fired/index.html
Amaker, who earlier confirmed his firing to The Associated Press, was expected to appear at a news conference later in the day. But he told the AP: "I'm not going to make excuses."
Amaker's dismissal was first reported by the Detroit Free-Press. Amaker was fired today after meeting with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin, the newspaper said.
"Letting Tommy go was the toughest decision I've had to make in seven years as athletic director," Michigan athletic director Bill Martin told The Associated Press. "He took over a program that needed help, and he helped it in a lot of ways. But at Michigan, we have a tradition of winning Big Ten and national championships and we haven't been close to doing either in a lot of ways."
Amaker finished 108-83 and won more than 20 games three times but failed to reach the NCAA tournament, coming close the past two years.
He was under contract through the 2010-11 season, but the school could fire him without cause by giving him $900,000, according to his contract that was obtained last week by The Associated Press in a Freedom of Information Act request.
The school said in a statement that Martin discussed his decision with Amaker on Saturday morning. The team's season ended Thursday night with a 87-66 loss at Florida State in the second-tier tournament, finishing 22-13.
Michigan hired Amaker on hired March 29, 2001, after firing Brian Ellerbe.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/ncaa/03/17/amaker.fired/index.html