UO Coach Kent officially fired, nets $1.15 mil

EUGENE, Ore. – After 13 seasons, Ernie Kent, the longest serving men's basketball coach in the Pac-10 and the men's coach with the most wins in school history, is no longer the head coach of the University of Oregon men's basketball team.

The University of Oregon Athletic Department just wrapped up a news conference in Eugene to make the announcement. It has been 10 days since word leaked out that Kent was told he's out as coach. He will get more than a million dollars for the buyout.

The University of Oregon has terminated Kent's contract effective June 30 and will start a nationwide search for a new coach.

The entire men's basketball team attended the press conference at Mac Court Tuesday, as did Chip Kelly, the University of Oregon's head football coach.

"You may find a better basketball coach, but I don't think you'll find anybody ... that has the passion ... and love that I have for this University," Kent said, struggling to fight back tears. "For whatever reason, I will always be joined at the hip with the University of Oregon."

Kent said he was given the option of stepping down in February or continuing to coach through the end of the season. He chose to lead his team through the rest of the basketball schedule, fighting until the end for a possible berth in the NIT.

Kent praised his team and coaching staff for winning four of their final five games, and he praised the people who have invested in the University, calling former athletic director Bill Moos and former University president Dave Frohnmayer two of the greatest men he had ever known.

KATU's Eugene sister station KVAL, citing anonymous sources, reported March 6 that Kent would be done as head coach in Oregon following a late-February meeting with athletic director Mike Bellotti. Bellotti said Tuesday that the meeting took place on Feb. 22, 2010.

The Register-Guard and other media organizations later confirmed and reported the news citing unnamed sources.

"I think it was very unfortunate for my players to have to deal with that," Kent said. "We have tried to keep them focused on the task at hand.

You drown out the noise, you go about your business," Kent said,  "and you don't make excuses: you get your job done."

We acquired a copy of a press release announcing the change in advance of a press conference Tuesday.

According to GoDucks.com:

Kent, the 2002 Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year, is the only coach to have led the Ducks to five NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as Pac-10 regular-season and two postseason tournament titles.

He is also the only coach in the Pacific Northwest to take his team to the NCAA Elite Eight this decade – and he’s done that twice (2002, 2007).

Kent has also guided the Ducks to the NIT Final Four on two occasions (1999, 2004).

Under his direction, the Duck men’s basketball team has ranked No. 1 amongst Pac-10 Conference schools in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate. Oregon’s current APR score of 975 (out of a possible 1,000) is nearly 50 points higher than the average Division I men’s basketball team (928). The Ducks recorded a perfect score of 1,000 during the 2006-07 season.

Results from KATU.com's related poll as of 7:25 a.m. Wednesday, March 17: