Central Michigan fires basketball coach Tony Barbee after fourth season with MAC team

By Canadian Press on April 3, 2025.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — Central Michigan fired basketball coach Tony Barbee on Thursday after the Chippewas failed to advance to the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the second time in three years.

Athletic director Amy Folan announced that Barbee would not return for a fifth season, saying the program “needs to go in a different direction.”

Central Michigan went 14-17 overall and 7-11 in conference play to finish 10th in the 12-team standings. Barbee had a 49-75 record with the Chippewas, including 0-2 in MAC Tournament games.

The 53-year-old previously had coaching stints at UTEP and Auburn. He spent eight years as an assistant at Kentucky before taking over at Central Michigan in 2021.

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