Pac-12 Basketball News: Larry Krystkowiak Dismissed as Utah's Coach
Surprising news out of Salt Lake City Tuesday night: Larry Krystkowiak is no longer the men's basketball coach at the University of Utah.
The Utes have been in decline in recent seasons and finished 12-13 this season after going 16-15 last season. And Utah decided to dismiss Krystkowiak.
According to a March 9, 2021, USA Today listing of Division I coaching salaries, Krystkowiak was the highest paid coach in the Pac-12 this season and the 13th-highest-paid coach in the country at a salary of $3.76 million, minus a pandemic-year reduction of nearly $200,000. His contract included a buyout clause of $6.5 million that the university must pay.
“Today, I informed Head Men’s Basketball Coach Larry Krystkowiak that I am making a change in the leadership of our men’s basketball program," Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement released by the university Tuesday. "The decision comes after a thorough evaluation of the program—both on and off of the court—as I do with every head coach at the conclusion of their seasons. Ultimately, our program needs a new voice, a new vision and a new leader who can build upon Larry’s foundation and lead us to greater heights in the years ahead. Larry has always been dedicated to our student-athletes, to our University and to the Salt Lake City community, and I am grateful for his decade of service to the University of Utah.
"In addition, he and his wife Jan have been incredibly generous in supporting University and community initiatives. I want to wish Larry, Jan and their family the very best. The costs associated with this termination and the hiring of a new head coach and staff will be fully funded from athletically-generated resources. We will launch an immediate national search for a new head coach.”
Krystkowiak was hired by Utah in 2011, and the program improved steadily over his first five years to become a factor in the Pac-12 title chase.
After going 6-25 his first season, Utah improved to 15-18 in his second and 21-12 his third. The Utes peaked in his fourth and fifth years when Utah went 26-9 overall and 13-5 in the Pac-12 in 2014-15, and 27-9 an 13-5 in the conference in 2015-16. Utah then had three successive years of 11-7 finishes in the conference.
In a five-season stretch from 2014-15 through 2018-19, Utah was the only team in the conference to finish among the top four every year.
However, the 2015-16 season was the last one in which the Utes earned an NCAA tournament berth. The Utes finished 8-11 in the Pac-12 last year and 7-11 in this year's pandemic-affected season.
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Cover photo of Larry Krystkowiak by Stpehen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports
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