In the News
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Salt Lake Tribune Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018
'Fan Apathy' Factored Into Utah State's Decision to Fire Tim Duryea
When Utah State athletics director John Hartwell met Sunday with Tim Duryea, the Aggies basketball coach asked if another win or two in the conference tournament might have been enough to save his job. The answer? No. The decision to fire him after three seasons as the coach in Logan was about much more than that. Utah State prides itself on its tradition of basketball success. As Hartwell assessed his men’s basketball program, however, he no longer saw the enthusiasm that once filled the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, and he no longer envisioned a path back there with Duryea at the helm. In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune this week, Hartwell said wins and losses were a factor in the decision to fire Duryea, but there also were concerns about the future of the basketball program, an alarming drop in season ticket holders over the past four years and what Hartwell called “fan apathy” in Logan. ... “We want to make sure we get the right person leading this program going forward,” Hartwell said. “… When I think about who would be the perfect candidate, it’s somebody with passion and fire and proven recruiting prowess.”