Chapman Fires Wilson After Coach’s Comments

Kevin Wilson, who said he was quitting as the Chapman College men’s basketball coach after the season, was fired Wednesday.

Walt Bowman, Chapman athletic director, said it “was by far the most difficult decision in my tenure,” but added that the move became necessary because “we can’t have public disinformation and this type of disenchantment.”

In a newspaper article last week, Wilson expressed growing frustration with his coaching duties at Chapman.

“The philosophy here has changed,” Wilson was quoted as saying. “I like the contact with the students and the closeness that you feel here. But I don’t like trying to be big time when you’re not.

“We had 420 kids in my (summer basketball) camp,” Wilson said. “and we raised thousands of dollars, but it didn’t benefit the basketball program.

“To be really frank with you, working all year and then working for nothing--not getting anything back (from the camp)--just didn’t seem right.”

Wilson went on to say that the team’s meal money for road games had been cut.

“I’m not trying to build the Kevin Wilson basketball program,” he said. “We just don’t have the funds. Maybe Division III is for me.”

Bowman said the comments were “the final capping.” He said he knew of Wilson’s frustration, but that by airing them in public, Wilson had gone too far and that an immediate change had to be made.

“I think the college felt since we had a coach who was not happy in the direction the college was going, a change had to be made,” Bowman said.

Wilson said Wednesday night, “I made my resignation effective Aug. 31 (of 1989), not Oct. 6 (when he announced his decision to resign) because I wanted to give the college time to make the544502369first and foremost. I didn’t want a disruption.

“I’m disappointed that that’s not a concern of others. It’s not the same feeling of priority held by other people.”

Wilson has coached at Chapman since 1984 and complied a 51-59 record, including 16-11 last season.

Linsay Struthers, in his first season as an assistant women’s coach at Chapman, will coach the men’s team the rest of the season.

Struthers spent the past 6 seasons coaching at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Ore., and was an assistant coach for the women’s team at USC for 1 season before taking the high school job in Oregon.

Wilson’s firing came just a week into Chapman’s season. The Panthers had beaten Pomona-Pitzer, 76-66, in their opener Saturday.

Wilson said in October that he wanted to resign when his contract expired in August of 1989. He said he wanted to pursue “other opportunities.”

“I’ve had 5 rewarding years at Chapman, but it’s a case of self-inventory,” Wilson said last month. “I’ve been coaching all my life, and it may be time for a change. I’ll have time to look at other options, and it gives the school time to find a replacement.”

Bowman said Wednesday he had been surprised by Wilson’s decision to leave. Bowman indicated earlier that he was willing to accommodate Wilson in his decision to leave after the 1988-89 season.

“I cringed (when I read Wilson’s comments) because I recognized that he had resigned effective at the end of the season,” Bowman said. “I can understand his frustration. We all have frustrations. (But) there also is a family aspect we try to foster at Chapman.”