END of an ERA: LUTZ FIRED After Four Consecutive Losses and Losing the A-10 Championship, Coach Bobby Lutz Is Let Go from Charlotte 49Er Basketball
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TUESDAY The University of North Carolina at Charlotte • www.nineronline.com March 16, 2010 Vol 22, No. 38 Got a tip? Give us a call at 704.687.7148 Partially Funded by Student Fees Published twice weekly END OF AN ERA: LUTZ FIRED After four consecutive losses and losing the A-10 Championship, Coach Bobby Lutz is let go from Charlotte 49er basketball JOSH CARPENTER regular basis.” Managing Editor In a statement Lutz said, “In closing, it [email protected] has been a privilege and pleasure to coach at UNC Charlotte, my alma mater. I have been UNC Charlotte Chancellor Dr. Phillip truly blessed and will forever bleed green.” Dubois and Director of Athletics Judy Lutz owns a 218-158 win-loss record while Rose announced Monday that 49ers men’s with Charlotte and owns 399 career coaching basketball head coach Bobby Lutz has wins in 21 years. The Niners have posted just been released from his contract, effective an 83-75 record over the past five years and immediately. are just 41-39 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. “Since Bobby is an alumnus of this “It’s not cool man; it’s not cool,” junior institution and has served here as a head or Joshua Galloway said. assistant coach for a decade and a half this Charlotte suffered through an 11-20 season was a personally and professionally difficult in 2008-09 but rebounded emphatically in decision for us but we believe it’s in the long- the first half of 2009-10, jumping out to an term interest of 49ers 18-5 overall record basketball and the “This was an extremely diffi- and the top of the university as a whole,” cult decision and not one that A-10 with an 8-1 Dubois said. record. The Niners In his 12-year was made lightly or in haste” however, lost seven career with the Niners, Director of Athletics Judy Rose of their last eight Lutz helped Charlotte games to fall out to eight post-season of A-10 contention trips and was the and missed out on program’s all-time winningest coach. Of postseason play altogether. the eight post-season bids, five were to In addition to Lutz, his coaching staff of the NCAA Tournament and two to the Rob Moxley, Rob Perron, Bobby Kummer National Invitation Tournament. Charlotte’s and Chris Cheeks has also been released. last NCAA Tournament appearance came Moxley, a top-ranked recruiter, had been in 2004-05 when the team lost in the first rumored in the last three days to be a top round to N.C. State. Charlotte’s last NCAA candidate for the head coaching position Tournament win came against Tennessee in at Gardner-Webb University and had been 2001. responsible for many of the Niners’ recruits. “This was an extremely difficult decision Moxley recruited the likes of Derrio Green, and not one that was made lightly or in haste,” Chris Braswell, K.J. Sherrill and transfer said Rose. “Bobby has been an important Jamar (Deuce) Briscoe. part of the 49ers family and represented our “Wow, I didn’t think he’d be getting university in a most positive manner. Our fired,” UNC Charlotte junior Jay Jerkins said. expectations for our program are high and “I just want to know why.” our goal is to strive to be in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10 with an opportunity to For updates on this article go to nineronline. compete in the NCAA tournament on a com Photo/Alex Georgi The life and times of Coach Bobby 1995 1995-96 1996-98 1998 1998-99 2008 2010 t t t t t t t March 15 - Lutz Lutz was Lutz was the assistant The first year Lutz was fired as the named the coach at UNC Charlotte took the 49ers to head coach at head coach at Lutz was named the under Melvin Watkins. the NCAA UNC Charlotte. Gardner-Webb assistant coach at Lutz was named the Lutz has 183 wins University UNC Charlotte under head coach at UNC the all time mark for Jeff Mullins. Charlotte. 49ers head coach Applicants deferred to slow New candidate for growth of UNC Charlotte CMS Commissioner JAMIE BROWN are on the border line and have ing at how the university can ALYSSA RINALDI Thompson’s pledge is to “do awarded for bonus pales in Staff Writer the opportunity to retake the hold any more students and do Staff Writer more” which is a response to comparison to the amount cut [email protected] SAT and ACT’s. Although, since that in a timely manner so that [email protected] Mecklenburg County Manager out of the budget, but he says the college is trying to decrease the students who currently here Harry Jones’ statement that “Jones’ $38,400 would have The economy’s downward the freshman class, as well as can have a good experience. Corey Thompson, 34-year- with our current budget we kept a well-qualified teacher spiral has not only affected as- the number of transfer students McEntire, who started de- old History and Journalism need to “do less, with less.” in a CMS classroom. So, when pects such as buying or selling a and graduates, the deferred list ferring students at the end of teacher at West Mecklenburg Thompson feels the I hear him say that we need to house and buying cars but also is essentially the same as a wait November, keeps in mind that High School has announced foundation of change will not be prepared to ‘do less, with the enrollment process at UNC list in that the university cannot UNC Charlotte is an institu- his candidacy for Mecklenburg come by doing things we’ve less,’ it just doesn’t make sense.” Charlotte. The university cur- accept that many applicants. tion that wants to give people a County Commissioner At- already done, his new vision His team has taken previous rently has 700 students on the Last year, the university chance. Large. calls for the understanding that decisions like these to inspire deferred list. Earlier this year, welcomed 3,170 students to the “I never approach it (with) Thompson completed we do not need to settle, that them to aide in areas they can the list rose to 800, making it freshman class. They are cur- a gate keeper mentality,” said post-graduate work and his we can build to prosperity once control. the largest list that Tina McEn- rently working to bring that McEntire. She added, “I ap- Teacher Licensure through again. Thompson’s team held a tire, Director of Undergraduate number down to 3,090 for next proach it as a ‘let me see if I can UNC Charlotte’s Program, so Thompson recalls that last drive to raise school supplies for Admissions, has seen in her 14 year. McEntire said it’s impor- admit this student.’” he counts himself among the spring Mecklenburg County CMS School and donated them years at the university. tant to slow down the growth Since the university has de- “Niner Family”. Commission “gutted” the to Classroom Central, on behalf McEntire used this past a little “so that (students) don’t nied more students this year Thompson grew up in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School of the people of Mecklenburg weekend to reexamine the ap- walk into a classroom with 400 than previous years, the phones Mecklenburg area and considers budget by an upwards of $35 county. He says this is a prime plications and plans to take students.” in the admissions office have Charlotte a place he calls home. million. “As a result of this example of “what we, ‘the between 150 to 175 people off While McEntire does not been ringing more than ever. He and his wife Jenny are the cut, teachers were laid off and people’, can do when inspired the list. She hinted at the pos- believe the slow down in growth McEntire tells the concerned proud parents of 2-year-old son education programs were cut. to pull together and overcome sibility of accepting up to 200, will last forever, as the econ- parents and students that “a no Charlie. Good people lost their jobs, the current challenges we face.” but stressed no more than that. omy improves and the school today at UNC Charlotte does “Considering that my wife and the children of our county The Primary for When processing and narrowing is granted more money, it will not mean a no tomorrow, or a and I are both teachers, we were drastically impacted by the Mecklenburg County down the list, McEntire looks to however, grow at a slower rate no a year from now.” understand what the average decision to cut school funding. Commission vote takes place on see if students took a rigorous over the next few years. For these students, they try family is facing right now. We Classroom size expanded May 4, and Thompson knows schedule their senior year and The new slow down in to turn a no into a plan. Wheth- have a young son, we have a tremendously, making it more they need to finish in the top-3 improved their test scores. growth will affect the univer- er that means taking classes at mortgage, and we know all- difficult for teachers to reach to make a difference in the Nov. In the past, admissions were sity’s master plan of having a community college and trans- too-well just how difficult times each and every student. I saw General Election. Thompson able to admit some students in 35,000 students by 2020.