Walsh Out, Barron In For UMaine Men’s Hoops

UMaine men's basketball coach Bob Walsh is out and former women's coach Richard Barron is in as next coach.

UMaine officials  announced the move this afternoon on the Orono campus.

Walsh finished his fourth season Saturday night with a loss to Vermont in the America East quarterfinals. His Black Bears went 24-100 overall and 12-52 in conference games.

Barron coached the UMaine women's team from 2011 until 14 months ago when health issues forced him to take a leave of absence. He returned to an administrative job in December.

Just last week interim women's coach Amy Vachon was named head coach of that program. The Bears will play for the America East championship Friday night.

Barron gets a five year contract that will play him $160,000 a year.

All of this comes at a time when Maine's athletic director Karlton Creech is leaving to take a job at the University of Denver and the search continues for a new UMaine president.