Illinois-Chicago basketball fires head coach Luke Yaklich
CHICAGO, Ill. - Illinois-Chicago is reportedly moving on from its head basketball coach.
UIC has fired head coach Luke Yaklich after four seasons, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
Yaklich had two years remaining on his contract. He was hired in March 2020.
"After a thorough evaluation, we determined the time has come for a change," UIC Director of Athletics Michael Lipitz said in a statement. "We sincerely thank Luke for his leadership over the past four seasons. He is a man of integrity and is genuinely invested in the wellbeing of his student-athletes. We wish him and his family every future success."
In 2022, Yaklich's contract was extended through April 30, 2026, according to his employment contract. Yaklich's annual base salary was also raised to $428,000.
In his four years, Yaklich had a 47-70 record and a .402 winning percentage.
On Friday, UIC won its first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament game, beating Southern Illinois in double overtime. It was the longest MVC postseason contest since 2004.
UIC's opening is the second in the MVC, as Missouri State fired head coach Dana Ford. UIC's opening is the second opening in Chicago, as DePaul fired Tony Stubblefield in January.
"UIC is committed to its men’s basketball program being a competitive force in the Missouri Valley Conference and returning to postseason play to help elevate the national profile of our entire athletics program and university," Lipitz said in a statement.
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