The end of an era
West fired, asks Tigers fans to demand University support for next football coach
By: Joseph Russell
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: News
After nine seasons of patrolling the sidelines as coach of The University of Memphis football team, Tommy West's tenure has come to an end.
U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson met with West yesterday morning, two days after the Tigers fell 56-28 to Tennessee in Knoxville, to inform him that U of M wanted the football program to "go in a different direction."
Although the search for a new coach will begin immediately, Johnson said, West will stay on and coach the final three games of the season, beginning with a Conference USA match-up this weekend against UAB.
By pulling the trigger while The U of M is still playing games, it will give The University a chance to find a replacement in time for the recruiting season, instead of starting the procedure at the end of the season, Johnson said.
"As far as the search (for a coach), we will start that immediately," he said. "The goal is very simple: to get the best available coach as quickly as possible."
West spoke just a few minutes later but wasn't nearly as reserved.
"Sometimes when you're the head coach, you can't say things because if you do, it's kind of sour grapes," he said. "You can't say exactly the way it is."
Now that he no longer has a job, West said, he could speak freely about The University's lack of support for the football program. He said U of M fans should demand that the athletic department provide adequate facilities and training necessities to its football team, something they didn't do for him.
"Now is the time to stand up for your university and your football program," he said. "I'm the seventh straight coach that stands here saying the same things to you. This is the seventh straight time this has happened. History will continue to repeat itself if they don't do something about it."
West came to The U of M in 2000 as defensive coordinator under former head coach Rip Scherer, and took over the following year after Scherer was dismissed after six consecutive losing seasons. Before that, Chuck Stobart was fired after three straight 6-5 seasons.
U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson met with West yesterday morning, two days after the Tigers fell 56-28 to Tennessee in Knoxville, to inform him that U of M wanted the football program to "go in a different direction."
Although the search for a new coach will begin immediately, Johnson said, West will stay on and coach the final three games of the season, beginning with a Conference USA match-up this weekend against UAB.
By pulling the trigger while The U of M is still playing games, it will give The University a chance to find a replacement in time for the recruiting season, instead of starting the procedure at the end of the season, Johnson said.
"As far as the search (for a coach), we will start that immediately," he said. "The goal is very simple: to get the best available coach as quickly as possible."
West spoke just a few minutes later but wasn't nearly as reserved.
"Sometimes when you're the head coach, you can't say things because if you do, it's kind of sour grapes," he said. "You can't say exactly the way it is."
Now that he no longer has a job, West said, he could speak freely about The University's lack of support for the football program. He said U of M fans should demand that the athletic department provide adequate facilities and training necessities to its football team, something they didn't do for him.
"Now is the time to stand up for your university and your football program," he said. "I'm the seventh straight coach that stands here saying the same things to you. This is the seventh straight time this has happened. History will continue to repeat itself if they don't do something about it."
West came to The U of M in 2000 as defensive coordinator under former head coach Rip Scherer, and took over the following year after Scherer was dismissed after six consecutive losing seasons. Before that, Chuck Stobart was fired after three straight 6-5 seasons.