University Star

Lara Shine, Star Illustrator

Texas State athletics officials are finally going to put the ball in someone else’s court next basketball season by making the decision to end Doug Davalos’ run as head coach.

Davalos’ contract will not be renewed after his 92-107 overall record in seven seasons as the Bobcats’ head coach, according to a March 19 University Star article.

Athletic director Larry Teis said in an email to The University Star that winning is not always everything in college athletics. Teis does have a valid point. The basketball team was losing scholarships because of the poor academic performances of players before Davalos was hired.

However, there comes a point when it is not good enough for the basketball program only to make positive strides academically. Attendance was lower this year than the previous one. This decrease should not have been the case, especially considering the university’s move to the Western Athletic Conference and the influx of higher profile opponents coming to San Marcos. It is clear fans were expressing their honest opinion of the basketball program by showing up to games infrequently this past season.

Every major sport at Texas State has an established coach or resume to its name except men’s basketball. Typically throughout the country, men’s college basketball programs routinely make the second highest amount of money of all athletic entities. The Texas State athletic department, which is spending $50,000 on research to land a new coach, needs to bring in a winner. The university needs a leader who will revitalize the team and program at Strahan Coliseum, a place that has not been energized on a consistent basis in a long time.

An individual losing a position is not something that should be celebrated, and the editorial board wishes Davalos the best on his next coaching or athletic administration job. Nonetheless, a business decision had to be made, and the correct one was carried through in this case.

A promising future is on the horizon for the Texas State men’s basketball program. Four starters on the team, including standout Joel Wright, will return next season revitalized. The team will have that much more of a chance at a fresh start next season when the program enters the Sun Belt conference. New seats will be added throughout Strahan to renovate and make the coliseum more inviting.

Davalos failed to have a winning season, but the 92 wins he led the team to make are the third highest of any coach in the program’s history. With Davalos’ improvements to the team’s academics, there is no doubt his tenure helped the program get out of its gloomiest years. Now, the Texas State men’s basketball program needs a coach who can turn the average state of the team into greatness—someone who can give a proper boost to Bobcat athletics.