Northern Arizona University men's basketball coach Mike Adras resigned suddenly Friday, leaving the program after 20 years and a 2-7 won-lost record this year.
Adras was entering the final year of a 3-year contract and will be paid the remainder of his annual $120,000 base salary.
Longtime NAU employee Dave Brown, 70, will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season, starting tonight against Cal State Bakersfield.
A message left on Adras' cell phone was unreturned. Team members were informed of his departure right before the start of practice on Friday afternoon.
"I'm baffled," NAU junior point guard Stallon Saldivar said. "We weren't expecting that at all. We were just going through our daily routine and came in and (they) broke the news. We were just speechless. Nobody knew what to do. My jaw dropped."
NAU athletic director Jim Fallis said the search to hire a replacement will begin immediately.
"Mike felt that he wanted to do something else, pursue some other opportunities and it's tough that it's this time of the year," Fallis said. "Clearly, we want to have somebody in place well in advance of the signing period (in April)."
Added Fallis: "In order for the program to have some continuity and to remain competitive, obviously, you're going to want a coach in place as quickly as possible."
WHATEVER ROLE NEEDED
Brown is the director of NAU's Walkup Skydome and previously coached the NAU women's team from 1983 to 1990. He has also served as the interim athletic director and a broadcaster for NAU. He has 26 years of experience after coaching at Phoenix's Brophy College Prep and was also the first basketball coach at Yavapai College in 1970.
Brown said NAU President John Haeger called him on Thursday and said there was going to be a coaching change in the men's basketball program. Brown said he has always offered to help fill whatever role was needed of him.
"I enjoy it," Brown said. "It's a part of my blood and it's an honor. I'm going to try and do everything I can to help the program."
Fallis said Brown was chosen over Adras' three assistants because of the staff's structure. There wasn't a clear assistant head coach among Quintin Grogan, Will Hensley and Jay Collins, who shared some of the same duties.
"He's close enough to the program but he's also got the experience and understanding," Fallis said. "The benefit is that he's seen this team -- from a different perspective -- perform since the start of the season. That's helpful too."
NOT BEEN TO PRACTICE
Brown had not seen a men's practice this year prior to Friday. He has only watched the Lumberjacks while providing color commentary during game broadcasts this season. He plans to make some changes with how the squad plays over the remainder of their schedule, but nothing too radical to begin with.
"We had a very candid, a very solid conversation," Brown said. "I think they have an idea of my expectations, and as we go through this for the first few weeks and months, I think they'll, hopefully, respond to my coaching methods.
"I'm no savior," Brown added. "I'm not a guy that's going to turn everything around. We're just going to try to reinforce the positives and teach."
WON'T ADDRESS TEAM
Adras had not spoken to any of the players about his plans, and as of late Friday, there were no plans for him to address the team. The Lumberjacks have struggled after the departure of eight players from last year's squad: Five graduated, two left voluntarily and one was dismissed last spring.
"We have to come together and act as a bigger family than what we were, which is tough when you're 2-7," Saldivar said. "We're 18-to-22-year-olds. I think we'll be alright. It's life."
Adras compiled a 193-170 record in 13 years as head coach at NAU. He led the Lumberjacks to their second NCAA tournament appearance in his first season after replacing Ben Howland in 1999 and ranks third on the Big Sky Conference wins list with 99 league victories.
Jacob May can be reached at jmay@azdailysun.com or 556-2257.
