Fire Steve Lappas

WHEREAS the dedicated fans of the University of Massachusetts Basketball Team believe the following to be true:

THAT Steve Lappas has a proven history of underachieving as a coach, having been forced from his previous coaching position and producing just 2 NCAA victories over a 14 year career;

THAT Steve Lappas was hired to improve the performance of the basketball program, yet has been an abject failure;

- In the three years before Lappas arrived, UMass was 46-47 (.495), while to date, Lappas is 48-61 (.440)

- In the three years prior to his arrival, UMass had RPI ratings of 89, 75, and 64, while to date, Lappas has produced RPI ratings of 107, 209, 158 and 105

- The longest winning streak of the Lappas era is four games, which happen to have been the first four games of his tenure, played primarily with the players he inherited from the previous coach

- UMass loses 20\% of all games coached by Steve Lappas by 15 points or more (including 17\% of games in this, his best season)

- One third of all games coached by Steve Lappas (36 of 109 games) are losses of 10 points or more

- Steve Lappas may be the only coach in America over the last 4 years not to have a winning record against Fordham

THAT despite playing in a significantly weaker Atlantic 10 conference during his tenure, Steve Lappas has been uncompetitive in conference competition;

- From 1999-2001, UMass was 29-19 in the Atlantic 10 (.604); while to date, Lappas is 24-36 (.400)

- UMass has produced a losing record against eight of the other eleven A-10 teams

- UMass is winless against both Dayton and St. Josephs

THAT Steve Lappas denies personal accountability by providing a litany of excuses to deflect attention from his inability to produce;

THAT UMass has been unacceptably inconsistent with Steve Lappas as head coach, and as inconsistency is a hallmark of poor coaching and preparation, said inconsistency will not be resolved absent Steve Lappas removal;

- In the same season, UMass lost to Northeastern by 16, defeated UConn, then lost to Miami in the next game by 27 points

- After beating North Carolina State by 7 on the road, UMass lost to Holy Cross by 11 at home

- After beating North Carolina State by 12 at home, UMass lost to Fordham (2-26) by 13 on the road

THAT the UMass fan base has eroded to the point that continuing to employ Steve Lappas could have long-term negative consequences

- Lappas has presided over the loss of more than 2,500 fans per game, the lost revenue from which exceeds his salary

THAT the outlook of the program will not improve unless and until a new basketball coach is hired to replace Steve Lappas;

THAT the fans of the University of Massachusetts Basketball Team have no confidence in Steve Lappas as a coach, or in any administration that would retain his services;

THEREFORE:
Unless and until Steve Lappas is removed as coach of the University of Massachsuetts Basketball Team, we, the undersigned, refuse to participate in any way, shape, or form in UMass athletics.