By Barry Jackson and Michelle Kaufman, McClatchy Newspapers –
MIAMI — Former NBA star Isiah Thomas, the most ballyhooed coaching hire in Florida International University history as well as its most controversial, is no longer an FIU coach.
Thomas said he was “stunned” and “disappointed” when he learned Friday that he was being fired after three years running the men’s basketball team.
Before joining FIU, Thomas was the coach of one of the NBA’s signature franchises, the New York Knicks. But he imploded there amid mounting losses on the court and an expensive sexual harassment lawsuit off the court.
His hiring the following year by FIU raised eyebrows, especially among women.
Reached by phone on Friday, Thomas said he had been under the impression he would have more time to turn around the program after guiding the Panthers to a 26-65 record in three seasons. FIU finished 8-21 this past season, after closing 7-25 and 11-19 in his first two years.
“I am very disappointed that I won’t get a chance to finish the job I set out to do when I got here,” Thomas said when reached by phone. “I was told I’d have five years to build FIU, and I felt I was well on my way to doing it…. Nobody told me I’d have two or three years. I was told five years.
Thomas said he had a meeting with Athletic Director Pete Garcia last week, and Garcia expressed disappointment in the team’s performance, but Thomas was “very optimistic and excited” about the next two recruiting classes. He said he had “high hopes” that he would have FIU winning by year five.
Garcia called him in again on Friday and told him he was being fired. At the time, Thomas was overseeing player workouts and interviewing assistant coaching candidate Mike Balado, formerly of FIU, UM and Miami-Dade Community College.
Thomas said his 2013 recruiting class had four of the top 50 players in the state, and his 2012 class has Chicago All-City players Milton Doyle, Tim Williams and Antoine Meyers.
“I know what we had coming in and in two years we would be loaded up and would have set the foundation for a strong future,” Thomas said. “It takes time to build a program and I just wish I could have had the opportunity to finish.”
Garcia declined to explain the decision, beyond a statement in which he thanked Thomas for his three years and added that “we have decided to take the program in a different direction.”
The school said it will immediately begin a national search for his replacement.
Thomas must be paid the remaining two years of a five-year, $1.1 million deal. He did not accept a salary in his first season.
Asked what he plans to do next, Thomas said, “I will sit back a couple days and think about everything. Then I’ll have to move on. I wasn’t prepared at all for this.
“I love Miami. I really enjoyed living here and getting involved in the community and local charity projects. I will miss it and plan to continue helping Miami charities in any way I can.”
Thomas’ contract included several perks, such as 20 complimentary tickets per home game, four complementary tickets to the Final Four, and the right to take his wife and children on two road trips, free of charge, as well as a $25,000 meal allowance during his first 12 months on the job.
The contract also included numerous incentives that were never met, such as $20,000 for winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, $20,000 for each NCAA Tournament win, $10,000 for each NIT win and $100,000 for winning an NCAA title. He also was due a $100,000 bonus on the last day of his contract if he served all five years.
His FIU tenure is the latest in a series of setbacks for Thomas following a brilliant playing career. After being hired as president of the Knicks in 2003, he replaced Larry Brown as coach in 2006, with a mandate to show rapid improvement, which he failed to carry out, finishing 33-49 and 23-59 over two seasons.
He was replaced as coach after the second season. In 2007, former executive Anucha Browne Sanders won a lawsuit (which included allegations of sexual harassment) against Thomas and Madison Square Garden, and received $11.5 million in a settlement.
Thomas also had a failed stint as owner of the Continental Basketball Association, which went bankrupt a year after his departure. He had modest success as coach of the Indiana Pacers from 2000 to 2003, finishing 41-41, 42-40 and 48-34.
As a player, Thomas led Bob Knight’s Indiana team to the 1981 National Championship. He won two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons, was a 12-time All-Star and two-time All-Star Game MVP. Thomas averaged 19.3 points and 9.3 assists in his career and was named one of the NBA’s top 50 players of all time.
