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Ritchie McKay fired
Lobos men's coach will finish season; poor record, low attendance cited
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Update: Incoming University of New Mexico President David Schmidly said today he did not have a say in men's basketball coach Ritchie McKay's firing.
"The AD (athletics director) called and told me what he was going to do," Schmidly said. "I'm appreciative that I was informed."
Even when he is officially in the president's office, Schmidly said the decisions on coaches won't be made by him.
"I don't meddle in hiring and firing coaches. That's the AD's job," he said.
Schmidly is due at UNM by June 1.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
University of New Mexico men's basketball coach Ritchie McKay has been fired, UNM interim President David Harris told The Tribune today.
Harris said McKay's dismissal grew from many factors, including the Lobos' disappointing 15-13 record this season and dwindling fan support.
"Coaches are judged on a number of factors," he said. "It just seems like fans haven't been happy all year. I think Ritchie will probably be relieved to be rid of the tension and stress."
Harris called McKay, who was hired in 2002, "a wonderful guy" and a "wonderful symbol for the university."
"I'm really sorry it's come to the position it has, but that's the reality in coaching."
The UNM Athletics Department scheduled a news conference early this afternoon to announce McKay's dismissal. The Lobos play at Utah on Saturday.
McKay and his staff are expected to finish the season with the Lobos, who are 15-13 overall, 4-9 in the Mountain West Conference.
The move climaxes a difficult controversial season for McKay, who has a 82-67 record at New Mexico, including one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005.
The Lobos opened the season 5-0 with what McKay said was his most talented team at New Mexico. But UNM, apparently beset by internal problems, began to struggle and quickly fell out of the conference race.
Attendance also became an issue: The Lobos, long one of the best draws in college basketball, had trouble attracting fans to The Pit, which seats 18,018 and for years had drawn averages of 17,000 or better.
An 81-74 loss to San Diego State in overtime Tuesday may have been the final straw, with a shattered McKay abruptly ending his postgame news conference.
McKay and Athletics Director Paul Krebs have had a number of discussions over the past months, Harris said, citing in particular several discipline issues among the players.
As for firing him before the season is over, Harris said he wasn't certain that would help the team.
"But in the long run, it gives the university a leg up in recruiting new candidates," he said.
McKay came to UNM from Oregon State University. He also coached at Colorado State and Portland State. He had three years remaining on his contract, worth about $500,000 a year.
Tribune staff writers Phill Casaus, Richard Stevens, Kate Nelson and James Staley contributed to this report.
