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USF fires head coach Orlando Antigua

Hoophall Miami Invitational - Kentucky v South Florida

MIAMI, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Orlando Antigua of the South Florida Bulls calls a play during first half action against the Kentucky Wildcats on November 27, 2015 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Kentucky defeated South Florida 84-63. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

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USF announced on Tuesday morning that head coach Orlando Antigua had been fired.

Assistant coach Murry Bartow will take over as the interim head coach.

“After a thorough and deliberate review of our men’s basketball program, a decision has been made to make a head coaching change,” athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. “We will continue to provide all the resources and support necessary for our student-athletes and coaching staff to have success. A national search to find our next head coach will commence immediately.”

USF is currently sitting at 6-7 on the season having lost their first two games in AAC play. Leading scorer Jahmal McMurry transferred out of the program last month after playing just three games this season; he was averaging 20.3 points on the year.

Antigua and South Florida were also facing an NCAA investigation into academic fraud issues within the program. Oliver Antigua, Orlando’s brother and a former assistant coach with the program, was fired over the summer in connection to the investigation.

Antigua, a former Kentucky assistant coach, had won just 23 games in two-and-a-half seasons in Tampa.

USF had originally tried to hire Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello to replace Stan Heath, but it was discovered that Masiello had written on his résumé that he had graduated from Kentucky when, in fact, he did not complete his degree.