Billikens fire Soderberg

Apr 17, 2007, 16:10 GMT

St. Louis, MO - Saint Louis University has fired men's head basketball coach Brad Soderberg after a mediocre five-year run.

Soderberg guided the Billikens to a record of 80-74, including a 20-13 mark this past season. It was Saint Louis' first 20-win season since the 1997-98 campaign, but the squad still did not receive a postseason tournament bid.

The Billikens reached the NIT after each of Soderberg's first two seasons, but the current three-year postseason dry spell is the longest for the school since a three-year absence from the 1990-91 season through 1992-93.

'It was determined that a coaching chance is necessary if the university is to achieve its goal of consistently having one of the nation's top basketball programs,' the school said in a statement. 'The university thanks Brad Soderberg for his five years leading the men's basketball program.'

Soderberg took over at Saint Louis after leading Wisconsin to a 16-10 record as interim coach when Dick Bennett unexpectedly retired early in the 2000-01 season.

Before his five-year run as an assistant at Wisconsin and his ascension to the interim position, Soderberg was also a head coach at Loras College and South Dakota State.

The Stevens Point, Wisconsin native has a career coaching record of 211-147.

The Billikens announced Angres Thorpe will serve as interim head men's basketball coach. Thorpe has been an assistant at Saint Louis since 2002.

© 2007 The Sports Network