You don’t often see a coach announce their own firing.
But faced with a question about rebuilding for next year after her team’s season just ended, Utah State women’s basketball coach Kayla Ard decided to be candid, revealing that she was fired from her post.
“I’m not gonna be rebuilding. I just coached my last game at Utah State,” Ard said during a postgame press conference Sunday after the Aggies (5-25) ended a brutal season with an 85-49 first-round loss to Boise State in the Mountain West tournament.
Ard said she spoke with athletic director Diana Sabau and was told the school wanted to go in a different direction.
“I respect her decision, and I hope they get a really good coach in,” Ard said.
Ard, 40, then looked to her right and said, “I’m assuming that’s gonna be the last question.”
She then picked up her drink, said “thank you” and walked away.
Utah State confirmed Ard’s firing in a release.
“We appreciate everything Kayla and her staff have contributed to Utah State,” Sabau said in a statement. “However, it is in the best interest of the program to make a change.”
The school noted in its release that Ard had a 24-90 record over four seasons, with a 10-62 record in conference games.
In the final game of the regular season last Tuesday, Utah State lost 104-44 to No. 23-ranked UNLV.
The Aggies went 4-26 last year, ending the season on a 13-game losing streak as they fell in the first round of the conference tournament, again to Boise State.