The Daily Hampshire Gazette - 3/15
UMass Athletics - 3/15
The Boston Herald - 3/16
The Boston Globe - 3/16
The Daily Hampshire Gazette - 3/16
The Springfield Republican - 3/16
mbattled University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach Steve Lappas is expected to meet today with Athletic Director John McCutcheon to learn whether he will return for a fourth year.
The new athletic director, who has been on the job full time since March 1, said earlier this month that he has the authority to decide whether to retain Lappas or terminate the final three years of his contract.
McCutcheon said he would meet with Lappas early this week and announce his decision.
The Minutemen's record has gotten worse in three years under Lappas with win totals decreasing from 13 to 11 to 10, while the attendance at the Mullins Center dropped to an average of 2,983 during the just concluded season in the 9,493-seat building
Lappas all season has pointed to his team's youth, saying that he expected the 2004-05 season to be the breakthrough year for his program because the entire roster returns including sophomore Rashaun Freeman, who was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year.
''I'm looking forward to sitting down with John and discussing the future of the program,'' Lappas said.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.
MHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts Amherst Director of Athletics John McCutcheon announced today that the Athletic Department has reached an agreement in principle to restructure the contract of Steve Lappas. Under the agreement, Lappas will return as head coach of the basketball program in 2004-05.
The new agreement maintains Lappas' base pay, but significantly changes the incentive portion of his contract to tie supplemental compensation to ticket sales and team performance. The new deal will be in effect for the '04-05 season. The agreement allows for Lappas and the University to renegotiate at the conclusion of next season.
"A new coaching staff needs to be given adequate time to get the job done in recognition of the state of the program they inherited," said McCutcheon. "While none of us, Steve included, are remotely content with the win/loss record of the team to date, I do feel we have begun to show signs of improvement for the future. This agreement allows that progress to continue while minimizing the financial exposure to the University. We have also established clear goals and expectations for evaluating the development of the program.
"As we begin to establish a stable environment within UMass Athletics that focuses on productivity, efficiency and the student-athlete, I feel this is in the University's and the Department's best interest."
Lappas, the sixth winningest coach in Big East Conference history, just completed his third season with the Minutemen. He has a career record of 264-225, with eight postseason appearances in 15 years at Manhattan, Villanova and UMass.
"I'm pleased in the confidence that John McCutcheon and the University have shown in the promise of the future of this program," said Lappas. "I am looking forward to continue working with the fine young talent we have in our program. I'm excited about the prospects of our future. Our goals are to return to the great tradition of winning we have at UMass."
MHERST - On the job for barely two weeks as UMass' new athletic director, John McCutcheon made his first significant move yesterday with the announcement of the decision to retain Steve Lappas as men's basketball coach for 2004-05.
The university restructured Lappas' contract, which originally had three years left to run, in a way that links additional compensation to an improved record, increased ticket sales and overall attendance during the coming season. His base salary of $175,000 remains unchanged.
``While none of us, Steve included, are remotely content with the win/loss record of the team to date, I do feel we have begun to show signs of improvement for the future,'' said McCutcheon in a statement. ``A new coaching staff needs to be given adequate time to get the job done in recognition of the state of the program they inherited.''
UMass concluded a 10-19 season last Wednesday with a 79-76 loss to Duquesne in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament. That followed 13-16 and 11-18 records in Lappas' first two years in Amherst, for an aggregate 34-53 record. Lappas was 230-172 at Villanova and Manhattan prior to taking over at UMass.
This season, 15 games at the Mullins Center produced an 8-7 home record, but fewer than 3,200 fans on average turned out to the 9,493-seat facility.
``I'm looking forward to continue working with the fine young talent we have in our program,'' Lappas said in the statement. ``I'm pleased in the confidence that John McCutcheon and the university have shown in the promise of the future.''
Under yesterday's agreement, Lappas and UMass can revisit the contract at the end of next season and renegotiate if necessary.
McCutcheon also spoke directly to the monetary consequences of the newly reorganized deal.
``This agreement allows that progress to continue while minimizing the financial exposure to the university,'' he said. ``We have also established clear goals and expectations for evaluating the development of the program.''
If UMass had considered a buyout of Lappas' contract, such an attempt may have been hampered by a compensation package the university will likely have to pay Northeastern for hiring head football coach Don Brown away from the Huskies. Northeastern received an injunction last week temporarily preventing Brown from coaching the Minutemen.
all it a boost of confidence or a reprieve, but the result is the same. After several weeks of speculation about his future, University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach Steve Lappas received assurance from school officials that he will be back next year for a fourth season.
An announcement was made yesterday by athletic director John McCutcheon, but it came with strings attached, including a restructured contract.
While no one would say specifically what those changes entailed, it was made clear that the incentive portion of his contract -- which includes a base pay of $175,000 per year -- would be directly linked to ticket sales and won-lost record.
Another part of the agreement wipes out the final two years of Lappas's contract, with the understanding that he and the university can negotiate a new contract based on the results of the 2004-05 season, making it a virtual "win or else" situation.
"That's unusual," said one college administrator yesterday. "I've heard of a few cases of coaches who have agreed to that as a way to save their job because they were sure they could turn things around."
Lappas has tried for three seasons to turn things around but has yet to post a .500 record. The UMass administration is faced with financial problems that makes it hesitant to pay the $525,000 it would take to buy out Lappas.
"A new coaching staff needs to be given adequate time to get the job done in recognition of the state of the program they inherited," said McCutcheon in a statement. "While none of us, Steve included, are remotely content with the win/loss record of the team to date, I feel we have begun to show signs of improvement for the future. This agreement allows that progress to continue while minimizing the financial exposure to the University. We have established clear goals and expectations for evaluating the development of the program."
These new conditions will put considerable pressure on Lappas, whose team went 10-19 this season, which ended with last week's 79-76 loss to Duquesne in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament.
"I'm pleased in the confidence that John McCutcheon and the University have shown in the promise of this program," said Lappas in a statement. "I am excited about the prospects of the future."
Whether Lappas can make the turnaround remains questionable. But that is only part of the equation. In this arrangement, putting people in the stands becomes almost as important as winning games.
When John Calipari took over the UMass program a decade ago, his original contract had performance and attendance clauses; certain marquee games were designated as contests for which Calipari would get a percentage of the gate receipts.
That deal was made based on a program that was still in the building stage. A new arena (the Mullins Center) and postseason appearances were part of the master plan.
Since Lappas arrived three years ago, the program has been in a rebuilding phase and the fan base has declined steadily each season. He went 13-16 in his first season and 11-18 in 2002-03.
Lappas apparently did a good job of selling his vision to the UMass administration, but the deal he cut to save his job eliminates the safety net of the final two years of his contract. That makes each game and the attendance at each home game of utmost importance for his future.
teve Lappas will remain a part of the University of Massachusetts men's basketball future that he has expressed so much optimism about.
New Athletic Director John McCutcheon met with Lappas Monday and announced that the coach is coming back, but with a restructured contract.
''It's obviously a very important decision for the athletic program and the university,'' said McCutcheon, who began work at UMass on March 1. ''To only have the short window in which to make the decision made it pretty important and fairly difficult. I talked to as many people as I could to get as much information as I could about how we got to where we are and what we think the prospects are for the future. ''I really feel this is in the best interest of the university and is fair to Steve, his staff and his team to continue on with as little disruption as possible for us to make progress.''
Lappas just completed his third season at the Minuteman helm with a 10-19 record. He is 34-53 since replacing Bruiser Flint in 2001. Lappas' original five-year contract was extended for a year after his first season by former athletic director Bob Marcum. UMass would have owed Lappas about $550,000 if he had been fired.
McCutcheon said if the administration isn't pleased with the program's performance in the 2004-05 season, buying out the remaining two years of Lappas' contract would cost UMass ''significantly less'' than under his old contract.
But McCutcheon said he does not believe he would face that decision.
''I truly think when we get to next year we're going to be talking more about the positive side and less about the negative side,'' he said. ''I think this is really fair. I think it's fair to Steve. I think it lowers the financial exposure to the university that the former contract created. I think it's a pretty good way for us to go.''
Lappas said he came away from the meeting pleased.
''The most important thing we discussed was the direction of the program. I think John has seen some things that he knows are positive,'' Lappas said. ''We both felt it was in the best interest for the program to stay the course and keep working with these kids.
''We know where we're headed. We know what kind of program we're going to have next year. Our players, our coaches and obviously the athletic director feel that this program is going to make significant progress.''
Lappas has said repeatedly that the 2004-05 season would be a breakthrough year for the Minuteman program. He said that when the team started winning again, fans would begin returning to the Mullins Center.
His new contract forces Lappas literally to put his money where his mouth is.
The contract leaves his base salary of $186,000 unchanged, but the incentive portion of his contract has been altered so it is now tied largely to ticket revenue. McCutcheon and Lappas said the team would have to be successful to reach those incentives ranging from $20,000 to $200,000.
''He had some components in the incentive portion of his contract that were pretty much guaranteed,'' McCutcheon said. ''Now the bulk of the incentive package is tied to how we perform in terms of ticket sales and revenues coming in. We'd have to be really getting pretty good crowds and getting some sellouts to get to that figure.''
In gathering information to make his decision, McCutcheon spoke to each Minuteman player, who he said stood behind their coach.
''They were supportive of Steve,'' he said. ''They would prefer we had a better record and more success too. But in light of that fact, they were a very cohesive group. They generally like and support each other and are of a mind that we'll be better in the future.''
The changes could leave Lappas facing a tension-filled situation next year as the pressure of needing to win looms over him.
Lappas said his goal is more than just surviving.
''Our goal is to come back strong in both our league and nationally,'' he said. ''Our goal is to be a great team next year.''
Asked if a team could be great in the National Invitation Tournament, Lappas paused.
''We're shooting higher,'' he said, in reference to the NCAA Tournament. ''Of course we're shooting higher.''
The Minutemen could be hurt in early recruiting as opposing coaches will use Lappas' uncertain future as a way to steer them away from UMass. Still, Lappas seemed confident in his ability to draw players.
''I'm sure when we have the type of season we're having next year, we'll be able to recruit the kid we want to recruit,'' he said.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.