LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — After seven seasons without a trip to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Rick Stansbury resigned as the Western Kentucky coach Saturday afternoon.
WKU finished 17-16 this season, losing to Florida Atlantic in the Hilltoppers’ second game in the Conference USA Tournament earlier this week. Stansbury, 63, missed nine games this season with undisclosed health concerns.
"While we didn't reach our highest goals, there were a lot of notable achievements during his tenure," WKU athletic director Todd Stewart said, noting his 11 wins over Power 5 opponents, including Louisville, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Alabama and Purdue.
Stewart said that his phone started "buzzing," with inquiries about the job. Stewart said that he had not decided if he would employ a search firm to help him recruit the next coach. He also did not set a timetable on when he planned to make a hire.
Stewart said the five qualities he wanted in the next coach were: recruiting; player development; commitment to academics; community involvement and winning.
Stewart noted that WKU has won only 4 NCAA Tournament games in the last 28 seasons, 2 by Darrin Horn in 2008. "Our goal is to advance in the NCAA Tournament," Stewart said. "Our NCAA Tournament drought is a big frustration for everybody."
Although Stansbury delivered four 20-win seasons and played in three CUSA title games, WKU was unable to secure a trip to the NCAA Tournament by winning the league tournament.
Stansbury’s record at WKU was 139-89, which included a trip to the NIT Final Four. WKU was one of four teams that lost to the University of Louisville this season.
“After giving this much thought, I have made the decision that I need to step away as head coach at Western Kentucky,” said Stansbury. “This past season has been a challenging one, and I need some time to step away from things and focus on my health and my family. This is a very difficult decision but the right one.
“I want to thank our players and the coaches I have had on my staff. It is always about the players, it is why we do what we do, and I have really enjoyed coaching them. Coach Cunningham, Coach Grant, Coach Franklin, Coach Cross, Coach Justice and our staff deserve tremendous credit for the way they handled everything this season during my absence. I could not have asked for better people to be around on a daily basis.
“While we did not reach our highest goals, I feel very good about what was achieved over the last seven years. We had many meaningful wins that brought national attention to our program and brought excitement back to Diddle Arena.”
WKU athletic director Todd Stewart is scheduled to discuss the future of the program at 3 p.m. EST.
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
