Grand Canyon has fired head coach Dan Majerle, the school said Thursday night. Majerle, a three-time NBA All-Star in the 1990s with the Phoenix Suns, spent seven seasons as the head coach at Grand Canyon. The Antelopes finished in the top three of the WAC standings in each of his first six seasons but stumbled this season to a 13-17 record and a fifth-place tie in the conference. "We have made the decision to move in a new direction with our men's basketball program," school president Brian Mueller said. "We wish Coach Majerle the best of luck in his future endeavors." "GCU has become a premier mid-major basketball destination with its resources, facilities, and student and community support," said Jerry Colangelo, a strategic advisor for the school. "We look forward to the future of the program under the direction of the new head coach." Colangelo is expected to take a key role in the search for a replacement, sources told ESPN. Given its deep pockets and support from the school, Grand Canyon has been a job generating plenty of buzz in the industry for the past couple of months. Former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino is among the names that have been linked to this job over the past few weeks, along with Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett, Pacific's Damon Stoudamire, former Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew and former Nebraska coach Tim Miles. Marvin Menzies, the associate head coach under Majerle, has been named interim head coach and is also expected to be in the mix to be the permanent coach.
|