Jimmy Patsos out As Siena Basketball Coach after Five Years
By Mark Singelais
Siena men's basketball coach Jimmy Patsos is out after five seasons. Siena announced late Friday afternoon that it had accepted Patsos' resignation. A source close to the program said the school agreed to pay a portion of what Patsos is owed to terminate the contract. The amount was not disclosed, but sources said the amount was significantly less than the remaining value of the contract. The Saints went 8-24 this year, tying the most losses in program history. That failure on the court was compounded by controversy away from it, as Patsos is under investigation by a law firm hired by the school after a student manager complained that the coach had verbally abused him. Patsos was signed through the 2020-21 season with a base salary that was $369,943 in 2015-16, according to the most recent Internal Revenue Service Form 990 filed by Siena. "Siena's founding Franciscan tradition calls upon us to honor the fundamental dignity of every person. Our core values demand compassion and help shape a community where all should feel welcomed, respected, and cherished. As we look forward to a new chapter in Siena men's basketball, our shared commitment to upholding these ideals will continue to guide us," said Br. Ed Coughlin, the college president. The Times Union reported last week Siena retained an outside law firm to examine reports that Patsos verbally abused a student manager who has obsessive compulsive disorder. The student filed a formal complaint with the school's president in February. Members of the team were interviewed by the attorney and Siena's Title IX coordinator. Siena athletic director John D'Argenio said the investigation will continue even though Patsos is no longer with the school. "I have denied and continue to deny any accusations of wrongdoing, but it is clear that it would be impossible to coach and recruit for Siena in this atmosphere and I would never want to do or say anything that would be harmful to the team or the school," Patsos said in a statement issued by his attorney, Dick Walsh. "I am still not sure how we got to where we are today; but at this time, I believe it would be best for all concerned if I was to leave Siena and pursue the next challenge in my lifetime of helping boys become men (through) college athletics." Extensive reporting by the Times Union revealed that the probe was expanded to look into whether Patsos or his staff improperly withheld per diem payments from players and team aides, and a charge Patsos shoved redshirt junior guard Kadeem Smithen out of his chair during a team film session. Patsos held a news conference last week at his attorney's office to deny he verbally abused the manager, whom he allegedly called "the next Unabomber." He also said he had no knowledge of misuse of per diem money. He later couldn't be reached for comment about the alleged incident with Smithen. Junior forward Evan Fisher said the players remained united and had not talked with the coaching staff. "I don't think it's been easy on any of us,'' Fisher said. "I don't know if there's any certain reaction out of us. I think this process has been a little difficult for us, but we're a tight team and we've really got each other's back." Fisher declined to say whether he ever considered Patsos' coaching style to be abusive. Fisher said he was asked not to discuss the investigation. Siena athletic director John D'Argenio said to his knowledge, no current players have asked for their release to transfer from the program. Siena has given San Jose, Calif., guard Jake Wojcik, who signed a national letter of intent in the fall, permission to re-open his recruitment. Wojcik hasn't been formally released from his letter, according to a source close to the program. Patsos was known for a fiery demeanor during nine seasons as head coach at Loyola (Md.), a former Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rival of Siena, which hired him to revive interest in a program that had faltered during three seasons under Mitch Buonaguro. Patsos went 77-92 with the Saints, twice losing 20 or more games in a season. He also won the College Basketball Invitational in 2014 and reached the MAAC title game last season. But the Saints fell to Iona in overtime in that contest and have gone eight years without reaching the NCAA Tournament. "We have a great tradition and a great history,'' athletic director John D'Argenio said. "Certainly, while you don't like something like this to happen, I think people recognize the values of Siena and what Siena stands for and they recognize they know we're here to make things right and to provide for our students and our athletes in a positive manner." D'Argenio said he felt Patsos fit Siena's values when he was hired five years ago. This season, Siena tied the school record for losses with a young lineup that wasn't ready to replace the four starters who graduated a year ago. The Saints ended the season with a first-round loss to Quinnipiac in the MAAC Tournament at Times Union Center on March 1. D'Argenio gave Patsos a vote of confidence on Feb. 16, saying the school was "committed" to Patsos for next season. After the season concluded, Patsos continued to recruit and received a verbal commitment from a high school player in March. Patsos declared during a Yahoo! Sports livestream broadcast that that "resurrection" of the program was coming. The school's statement said it would conduct a national search for a new head coach. One possible successor is Le Moyne's Patrick Beilein. A source close to the basketball program said he's "sure" Beilein, 35, is a top target for the Saints after leading Le Moyne to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament this season. He's 59-34 over three seasons with the Dolphins. Le Moyne athletic director Matt Bassett said Monday Siena hadn't talked to him about Beilein. D'Argenio said he hadn't talked to any candidates and that the school wouldn't be rushed into making a hire. Beilein turned down an offer from MAAC member Marist last month, according to HudsonValleySportsReport.com. Beilein is a son of Michigan head coach John Beilein, who led the Wolverines to the NCAA Division I championship game this month. John Beilein also coached Le Moyne before launching his Division I career at Canisius, another MAAC rival of Siena. Le Moyne opened this season by upsetting Siena 73-71 in an exhibition game at Alumni Recreation Center on Nov. 4. msingelais@timesunion.com ¦ 518-454-5509 ¦ @MarkSingelais
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