MSU fires basketball coach Hinson

School officials and Hinson have reached an understanding that the basketball program needs to go in a different direction, according to a news release.

“This year, we didn’t meet some of our expectations,” MSU President Michael Nietzel said in the release. “A lot of factors go into evaluating a season, but we had hoped for and expected better results.”

Hinson’s overall record at MSU was 169-117, with four National Invitation Tournament appearances.

“I was unable to deliver an NCAA Tournament berth, and the buck stops with me,” Hinson said in the release. “We accomplished a lot over the past nine years. We won a lot of games, our players graduated and we had some of the best RPIs in the country. But that’s just part of the business of Division I athletics.”

Hinson will receive a $150,000 cancellation payment. A national search for his replacement will begin immediately and conclude as soon as possible, the school said. MSU intends to “enhance the compensation package to be more competitive in the Missouri Valley Conference,” according to the release.

Nietzel said the university’s athletics program would continue to be evaluated on five goals: academic record of student athletes, athletic competitiveness and success, integration into campus and university culture, financial stability, and compliance with NCAA, conference and university rules and policies.