SEATTLE (AP) - Cameron Dollar was fired Monday at Seattle after eight seasons in which he was unable to turn the Redhawks into a contender in the Western Athletic Conference.
Seattle athletic director Shaney Fink made the decision after the Redhawks went 13-17 and were eliminated by Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament quarterfinals.
“I am grateful to coach Dollar and his staff for their dedication and commitment to the mission and values of Seattle University, especially with their emphasis on the personal development of the young men who have come through the program,” Fink said in a statement.
“However, after thorough evaluation, I have decided that a change in leadership is necessary in order to achieve the full potential of our men’s basketball program.”
Dollar posted a statement on Twitter about the decision, saying he felt for the players caught in the middle.
“Seattle University is well within its right to end our relationship,” Dollar wrote. “It takes a group effort to get the level of success we all yearned for. Unfortunately we weren’t able to achieve that collaboration.”
A standout player at UCLA and assistant coach at Washington, Dollar was 107-138 in his time at Seattle. The private school made the transition to full Division I status early in Dollar’s tenure after nearly three decades of playing at lower levels. The Redhawks played as an independent until joining the WAC in 2012 and finally having a path to the NCAA Tournament.
The Redhawks had aspirations of returning to being a private school powerhouse on the West Coast the way they were in the 1950s and 1960s, including a national championship game appearance in 1958 behind Elgin Baylor.
Dollar was unable to get Seattle to that level. The Redhawks reached the WAC Tournament title game and a chance at an NCAA Tournament bid just once in his tenure.
“While we have not seen the progress we had hoped we would by this point, I am deeply appreciative of all that (Dollar) has accomplished with our student-athletes and the university’s return to Division I,” Seattle President Stephen V. Sundborg said.
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