GARRETT WAIT
Sports Editor
Paul Westphal
Pepperdine announced Wednesday the firing of Paul Westphal as men’s basketball Head Coach.
The 55-year-old Westphal, who began coaching at Pepperdine before the 2001-02 basketball season, was 76-62 during his tenure at the helm of Pepperdine’s flagship athletic program. However, he was never able to duplicate the success of his first season when the team went 22-9 and made the NCAA Tournament.
Dr. John Watson, director of athletics, announced the decision to cut ties with the former NBA player and coach after the team went 7-20 during the past season.
“I looked at all the variables and I determined that we were not on the correct trajectory in my perspective,” Watson said. “I felt the need to make a change.”
The Westphal Era began on a high note, but injuries and academic issues never allowed for that kind of success during the rest of his seasons at Pepperdine.
The 2002-03 season saw the Waves drop to 15-13 on the season due to key injuries to star players like Glen McGowan and Devin Montgomery. In 2003-04, Pepperdine dropped even further down, ending the season at 15-16, the first time the Waves had posted a losing record for a season since 1996-97.
In 2004-05, Pepperdine managed to win 17 games. However, the team went 6-8 in West Coast Conference play, ending up in a tie for fifth place despite a senior-laden team with three all-conference performers.
Watson said the decision to terminate Westphal as men’s basketball coach was not a reflection of the coach’s character.
“Paul Westphal’s one of the nicest and most honorable men I’ve ever met,” Watson said. “That’s what made this decision so difficult.”
Watson said the decision came down to the direction of the program and nothing more.
“We’re talking about a quality human being who has made a significant contribution to Pepperdine in general,” Watson said. “I took very seriously my responsibility, the facts and the criteria I use to evaluate progress. I just didn’t see the progress I wanted to see.”
The search for a new head coach will begin shortly, according to Watson.
“I will start the search Tuesday after I get back from the women’s NCAA Tournament,” Watson said. “I’m focusing on the lives of coaches and the lives of players I have impacted right now.”
Watson said the decision to end Pepperdine’s relationship with Westphal was particularly difficult for him as an admirer of the coach.
“It is a challenge to anybody who cares about other human beings to have an impact on their life that’s not positive,” Watson said. “It’s a difficult process, but it’s the right process to fulfill my obligations. As a human being, I don’t relish the experience of impacting people negatively, particularly if you have come to admire someone as much as I admire Paul Westphal.”
Basketball players declined to comment on the dismissal.
03-16-2006