San Diego has parted ways with coach Bill Grier after eight seasons, the school announced Monday.
Grier took over the Toreros' program in 2007-08, guiding the team to the NCAA tournament and pulling off a first-round upset of UConn. That was the first NCAA tournament win by a Division I program in San Diego. San Diego State didn't pick up its first NCAA tournament victory until three years later.
The 51-year-old Grier never came close to replicating that success. The program was buffeted after Brandon Johnson was indicted on game-fixing charges related to the 2009-10 season.
Athletic director Ky Snyder said Grier "rebuilt the character" of the program "when Brandon Johnson put a black eye on the program."
San Diego went to the CIT last season after an 18-17 campaign, its only other postseason appearance under Grier. The Toreros finished 15-16 (8-10 West Coast Conference) this season.
"Although we improved a little recently, we didn't get to the place we wanted to," Snyder said.
The AD said he needed to "see some steady progress, and I didn't see it build to where I wanted to."
Grier, an assistant at Gonzaga for 16 years, ends his San Diego career with a 117-144 record.
"I'm more disappointed than anyone that we didn't win more games, but I know we did things the right way," Grier said in a statement.
Information from ESPN's Jeff Goodman and Jeff Borzello and The Associated Press contributed to this report.