by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Ritchie McKay will not be coaching the UNM men's basketball team next season.
McKay's contract will be terminated at the end of the 2006-07 season, Athletics Director Paul Krebs announced at a news conference Thursday.
McKay, who had three years remaining on his contract, will coach the Lobos for the remaining three games of the season and the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
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Krebs said it was a hard but necessary decision.
"It is a difficult day and an unfortunate day for our basketball program," he said. "I want to thank coach McKay for five years of service. He is a class individual."
McKay said he is disappointed but understands the termination of the contract.
"Obviously, today's a tough day for me," he said. "This is a decision that Paul and I talked about throughout the year and at a time when it was best for the basketball program at UNM to make a change. I'm in full support of it."
Krebs said the timing of the decision will make it easier to find McKay's replacement.
"It allows us to begin to move forward in a public manner to find the best coach we can to lead this program," Krebs said.
Including television and radio deals, McKay's salary was about $500,000 per year.
Despite the firing, UNM will have to buy out the base salary in McKay's contract for the three remaining years, which is about $193,000 per year for a total of $579,000.
The Lobos were picked to finish fifth in the nine-team MWC in a preseason poll, but they are tied for seventh with a 4-9 record in conference play. UNM is 15-13 overall.
Krebs said there were multiple factors in the decision, including lack of fan support.
"Anytime you make a change of that magnitude, you look at all the facets of a program," he said. "Declining attendance would be one of those facets."
The negativity McKay received in the media would have made it hard to make the announcement at the end of the season, Krebs said.
"It was my opinion that it was going to be very difficult for coach McKay and his staff to continue to lead this program here at the University of New Mexico," he said. "The constant speculation and the scrutiny from our fans - it got to a point where I felt that the coaches could no longer be effective."
McKay was hired as head coach in March 2002 after coaching at Oregon State. His record is 81-66 overall, 31-40 in MWC play and 8-41 on the road for the Lobos. In his best season, 2004-05, UNM finished 26-7, won the MWC and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to Villanova.
In 11 years as a head coach, McKay's record is 164-155.
Being the head coach at UNM brings a lot of responsibility, McKay said.
"I think this is a high-pressure job. It's a great job, but there's definitely high expectations," he said. "When we went 26-7 and lost to Villanova, I heard what a poor performance it was. Getting into the NCAA Tournament wasn't enough."
Despite the decision to end his tenure, McKay said he does not hold a grudge against Krebs or UNM.
"It's just the close of a chapter,"
he said. "I don't have any animosity or ill feelings toward Paul or the leadership. I want what's best for the University of New Mexico. If it's best that they make a change, then I'm going to support it."
After finishing 17-10 last season and acquiring big-name transfers in J.R. Giddens and Aaron Johnson, expectations were high for the Lobos. The team delivered at first, cruising through opponents during its 5-0 start.
However, the losses began to pile on after that, especially in conference play.
McKay said there are things he wishes he could have changed during his tenure.
"When you're in a position like I'm in now, you think about what you could have done differently," he said. "I've got tons of ideas as it would relate to that."
Despite the negative press and the way this season has gone, McKay enjoyed his time at UNM, he said.
"I love this place," he said. "I think it's a great institution. I'm also honored that I had a chance to coach the young people that are in our program and that have been in our program. I'm truly blessed to have had a chance to share in their lives."
