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Less than one year after extending University of Maine women’s basketball coach Cindy Blodgett’s contract, the former UMaine basketball star and state legend was fired, effective immediately.
On Tuesday, one day after being named the UMaine athletic director on a two-year contract, Steve Abbott made a splash on his first decision and let go the women’s basketball coach.
“We all respected and appreciated Cindy,” Abbott said. “She’s our program’s greatest player and has contributions to the UMaine women’s basketball program. But, ultimately, you have to look at performance.”
Blodgett, who excelled in her playing days as a Black Bear, scoring 3,005 points and still holding 20 UMaine records, couldn’t translate that success as a coach, going 24-94 in four years.
Former UMaine Athletic Director Blake James, arranged the majority of a two-year contract extension in September 2010, just before Abbott took over the job full-time.
“In retrospect, [the extension] was unfortunate,” Abbott said. “I know Blake had high hopes as did I. We were both optimistic.”
Unable to improve on a subpar 2009-2010 season where the Black Bears went 8-21, UMaine finished this season 4-25, the worst in the program’s history.
Blodgett declined to comment, as she expects to hold a press conference on Thursday at Paddy Murphy’s, a downtown Bangor pub, at 2 p.m.. Blodgett reportedly has hired an attorney, Tom Nale of Waterville, but has no plans to sue the university.
“She’s making a statement [Thursday] at 2 o’clock in the Bangor area,” Nale said. “I negotiated her WNBA contract a few years ago. She called and asked if I would assist her in working through this issue with the University, which I feel we’ve done and she’s going to make a statement [Thursday] afternoon.”
Blodgett will receive a year’s salary, $109,772, as a part of the termination agreement.
The remaining members of the women’s basketball team were upset with the decision and Abbott said he talked with a few of them.
“I talked to a number of the women’s basketball players and they all worked very hard under Cindy,” Abbott said. “We all liked and respected her, but as an administrator it’s not my job to make decisions based on those factors rather on what’s best for UMaine. I know it’s disappointing for them and I’m sympathetic, but when it came down to it, she didn’t perform.”
Abbott said a national search will begin immediately.
