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Last updated on Monday, March 19, 2012
(INDIANAPOLIS) - UAB fired former IU basketball coach Mike Davis on Friday following his sixth season, a year after he led the Blazers to a fourth-consecutive 20-win season and the NCAA tournament.
Davis couldn't sustain the momentum, and a depleted squad fell to 15-16 - matching the record from his first season.
Athletic director Brian Mackin said wins and losses weren't the only factor.
"One of the considerations in this decision is that we have seen a growing apathy among our fan base that has resulted in a decrease in attendance and ticket revenue," he said.
The Blazers remained ninth in Conference USA in attendance last season, but the average crowd at Bartow Arena dropped from 5,920 in 2010-11 to 5,546. The Blazers also had trouble scoring after replacing league player of the year Aaron Johnson at point guard, ranking 11th in C-USA at 60.5 points a game.
In a statement Davis said: "I respect their decision and really appreciate the opportunity to be the head men's basketball coach at UAB."
His voice mailbox was full and he did not immediately return a text message from The Associated Press.
Davis led the Blazers to the NIT three times and took them to the NCAA tournament for the first time during the 2010-11 season. They also claimed their first C-USA regular season title. It earned the former Indiana coach league coach of the year honors, but no raise or contract extension.
The Blazers had only two starters back this season, including preseason C-USA player of the year Cameron Moore, and no other returning players who averaged more than 3.9 points.
Davis posted a 122-73 record and had one year remaining on his $625,000-a-year deal. This was only the third losing season in the program's history and the second under Davis.
Mackin had fired football coach Neil Callaway in November, hiring Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee. He said a national search for Davis's replacement will begin immediately.
UAB beat Tulane to open the C-USA tournament, but lost 64-54 to UCF in the quarterfinals.
Davis, a Fayette, Ala., native, was the state's Mr. Basketball and then played for the University of Alabama, where he was known for his tough, scrappy defense.
He spent two seasons as an Alabama assistant and three on Knight's Indiana staff before getting elevated to the head job for a six-year stint that included a loss to Maryland in the 2002 national title game.
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