Army fired Jim Crews as men's basketball coach after seven seasons with the academy.
"There was a series of events that led me down the path to determine that I needed to make a change in leadership of the men's basketball program and terminate coach Crews' contract," athletic director Kevin Anderson said in a statement. "I am very disappointed with some things that have come to my attention in recent days and I have decided that it is in the best interests of the basketball program and the institution to terminate our relationship."
The timing of Crews' firing is odd considering teams were allowed to start team workouts for two hours a week beginning Sept. 15. Official team practice begins Oct. 16.
Army was 60-139 in seven seasons with Crews. Crews, who coached at Evansville and played for Bob Knight at Indiana on the undefeated 1976 team, recently came back from a goodwill mission to Iraq with other coaches and ESPN analysts Fran Fraschilla and Steve Lavin, coaching U.S. troops during a basketball tournament.
The Black Knights, whose head coaches have included Mike Krzyzewski and Knight, have not had a winning season since 1984-85.
Crews was 22-76 in the Patriot League. The Times Herald-Record of Middletown, N.Y., reported that Army's deputy athletic director, Gene Marshall, would be the interim coach.
ESPN.com's Andy Katz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.