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SIU Edwardsville announces that head coach Lennox Forrester will not return

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville v Arkansas

Getty Images

Getty Images

Tuesday afternoon SIU Edwardsville announced that head coach Lennox Forrester will not be retained. The Cougars finished this season with a 12-16 overall record, going 8-8 in Ohio Valley Conference games and losing to Eastern Illinois in the first round of the OVC tournament.

Forrester, whose first season at SIUE was the program’s last as a Division II member, ends his tenure with a record of 82-146. The 12 wins this season represent the most the Cougars were able to win in a single season under Forrester’s watch. And the lack of on-court success is what athletic director Dr. Brad Hewitt cited in his announcement of the move.

“This was a difficult decision, coming after a thorough and thoughtful evaluation of the past eight years of work,” Dr. Hewitt said in the release. “I would like to thank Coach Forrester for his dedicated service to SIUE and his leadership in developing young men of character. These student-athletes have represented the University and the men’s basketball program in a positive manner.

“Ultimately, our won-loss record and program support are not where we believe it should be.”

Four of SIUE’s top five scorers are seniors, led by guard Kris Davis who was the team’s lone double-digit scorer at 14.3 points per game. Junior Donivine Stewart, who was third on the team with an average of 8.6 points per game, is the lone player among the top five with eligibility remaining.