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

Central Michigan head coach Tony Barbee reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

Central Michigan head coach Tony Barbee reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
 
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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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