UB has parted ways with head men’s basketball coach Jim Whitesell after four seasons, the school announced Saturday.
This comes after a 101-77 first-round loss against Akron in the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
Whitesell finished with a 70-49 overall record, with a 45-27 mark in conference play in four seasons with UB. The Bulls failed to win the Mid-American Conference and advance to the NCAA Tournament during Whitesell’s tenure. UB’s lone postseason appearance was a first-round loss to Colorado State in the 2021 NIT.
Whitesell had served as the assistant head coach on former UB head coach Nate Oats’ staff from 2015-2019. The Bulls won the Mid-American Conference three times during that span. In 2019, Oats was hired by Alabama, making Whitesell the UB head coach.
The move comes two days after UB was blown out by Akron in the first round of the MAC Tournament. Finishing with an overall record of 15-17, the 2022-23 campaign marks the first losing season under Whitesell.
“At this time, we felt it was necessary to make a change of leadership of our men’s basketball program,” UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt said in a statement released Saturday. “We want to thank Jim for his eight years at UB, including the last four as head coach. We wish him and Connie nothing but the very best moving forward.”
Alnutt confirmed, a national search for Whitesell’s replacement will begin immediately.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
