The coaching landscape in Conference USA was altered significantly Friday when Marquette fired Mike Deane and Charlie Spoonhour resigned at St. Louis.
Deane’s dismissal had been rumored for some time. Marquette was a disappointing 14-15 this season following Wednesday’s first-round loss to St. Louis in the conference tournament, but Deane had a five-year record of 100-55 with four straight 20-win seasons, two NCAA tournament appearances and two NIT berths.
Marquette’s “normal aspiration should be the NCAA tournament every year,” Rev. Robert Wild, the school’s president, said at a news conference. “It’s not a matter of a down season.”
Athletic Director Bill Cords vehemently denied reports of a rift with Deane, who had two years left on his contract. “Our competitive level has gradually eroded over the past five years,” Cords said. He thanked Deane for his contributions but said it was time “to go our separate ways.”
Speculation on a successor immediately turned to Northwestern coach Kevin O’Neill, Deane’s predecessor at Marquette. But O’Neill, whose Wildcats nearly upset second-ranked Michigan State on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament, indicated he was not interested.
Spoonhour, 59, was 122-90 at St. Louis and led the Billikens to three NCAA tournaments and one NIT. His final season was a frustrating 15-16 as he struggled unsuccessfully to fill the void created when Larry Hughes left for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers after leading St. Louis to 22 victories and a first-round win in the NCAA tournament as a freshman.
“To do the things you need to do, it finally got to be work,” Spoonhour said. “And I always said if it got to be a real job, I’d quit.”
Spoonhour said he’d recommend longtime assistant Greg Lackey as his successor.
