Buffalo fires men’s basketball coach Jim Whitesell

Whitesell was under contract through the 2024-25 season and is due to receive a $500,000 buyout under terms of his deal for being fired before April 5.

The move comes two days after the sixth-seeded Bulls (15-17) were routed 101-77 by third-seeded Akron in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. It marked the Bulls’ third quarterfinal loss under Whitesell.

He finished with a 70-59 record at Buffalo and led the team to one postseason appearance, a 2021 NIT berth, which ended with a first-round loss to Colorado State.

The lack of postseason success coupled with a drop-off in recruiting were considered disappointments for a school that had established itself as a MAC power. It made a combined four NCAA Tournament appearances — including the program’s first — from 2014 to 2019 under Bobby Hurley and Nate Oats.

Whitesell came to Buffalo as an assistant on Oats’ staff and was promoted when Oats left to coach at Alabama.

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