Following up on reports from earlier tonight. Here’s the official statement from Mizzou on the dismissal of head coach Cuonzo Martin:
University of Missouri Men’s Basketball Head Coach Cuonzo Martin will not return for the 2022-23 season, Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois announced.
A national search for a new leader of the men’s basketball program will begin immediately. Former college basketball coach and now search consultant Eddie Fogler will assist Mizzou in the search process.
“Coach Martin represented the University with an extremely high level of class and dignity”, Reed-Francois said. “He is a man of high character whom I have the upmost respect for, and we are grateful for his contributions to our program, on and off the floor. He is not only a coach, but is a teacher, and he has impacted the lives of every student-athlete who came through the program over the last five years. We wish him, Roberta, and their family nothing but the best in the future.”
The terms of Martin’s contract will be honored by Mizzou Athletics.
Martin recently finished his fifth season at the helm of the Tigers program. He was 78-77 during his tenure at Mizzou and has a career record of 264-198.
The Tigers finished 12-21 during the 2021-22 season, 5-13 in SEC play. Mizzou made the NCAA Tournament twice during Martin’s tenure – in 2017-18 and 2020-21.
“I believe that Mizzou is one of the best men’s basketball coaching jobs in the country,” Reed-Francois said. Our University is the flagship institution of our great state and a member of the Southeastern Conference, the premier league in college athletics. We are located in a recruiting hotbed and there’s incredible alignment between our department and our President and Board of Curators. We have—and will—continue to invest in our men’s basketball program and I look forward to introducing the new leader of our program to our community in the near future. We will work quickly and expeditiously to find the candidate who is the best fit to continue building our championship culture.”