Mercer Bears men’s basketball head coach Bob Hoffman has been relieved of his duties, according to a Monday morning press release from Mercer Athletics.
The decision comes after a season that saw the Bears win just six conference games and exit the Southern Conference tournament in the first matchup this past weekend.
Hoffman’s 11 seasons at the helm resulted in a 209-165 overall record. Under his leadership, the program saw seven winning seasons and six postseason tournament appearances, as well as the famed 2014 upset win over Duke in the NCAA Tournament.
Before coming to Macon, Hoffman played college basketball at Oklahoma Baptist University and held head coaching positions with Southern Nazarene University’s women’s team and at the University of Texas-Pan American. He also served as an assistant at the University of Oklahoma and coached in the NBA Development League.
“Coach Hoffman has made an indelible mark on the Mercer basketball program,” Mercer Director of Athletics Jim Cole said in the release. “Bob always ran his program and mentored his student-athletes in a first-class manner that represented our university well.”
Cole went on to praise Hoffman and his wife, Kelly, and thanked them for their time and effort spent on Mercer. Cole also asked for the support of the Bears fanbase as the program moves in a different direction.
According to the release, Mercer’s search for their next head coach is already underway.
BREAKING: Men’s basketball head coach Bob Hoffman let go after underwhelming season
Bob Hoffman, who had a fiery sideline presence in his time with the Bears, was inducted into Mercer's Hall of Fame this year.
