CHARLOTTE, N.C. --

UNC Charlotte Chancellor Dr. Philip Dubois and Director of Athletics Judy Rose, today, announced that head men’s basketball coach Bobby Lutz has been released from his contract, effective immediately.

“Since Bobby is an alumnus of this institution and has served here as a head or assistant coach for a decade and a half this was a personally and professionally difficult decision for us but we believe it’s in the long-term interest of 49ers basketball and the university as a whole,” Dubois said.

Lutz, who is the program’s all-time winningest coach, guided the 49ers to eight post-season trips in his 12-year career. Those eight bids included a school-record five NCAA Tournament appearances, the last of which came in 2005.

Since 2005, Charlotte has advanced to two National Invitation Tournaments (2006, 2008) in the last five years.

“This was an extremely difficult decision and not one that was made lightly or in haste,” said Rose. “Bobby has been an important part of the 49ers family and represented our university in a most positive manner. Our expectations for our program are high and our goal is to strive to be in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10 with an opportunity to compete in the NCAA tournament on a regular basis.”

---

EMAIL SIGNUP: Like This Story? … Get More Sports Stories Directly To Your Inbox!

---

Lutz owns a 218-158 win-loss record (.580 winning pct.) as the 49ers head coach and an overall 21-year career coaching mark of 399-249 (.616), which includes a 181-91 record in nine years at Pfeiffer University.

Over the last five years, the 49ers have posted an 83-75 overall record (.525), including a 41-39 mark (.513) in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The 49ers went 19-12 in 2009-10 and finished in a tie for fifth-place in the A-10 with a 9-7 record. Charlotte lost seven of its last eight games to fall out of A-10 Championship contention and post-season play.

In addition, Lutz’s coaching staff has also been released from its duties.

A national search for Lutz’s successor will begin immediately. Dubois and Rose will not discuss potential candidates until the announcement of the hiring.

UPDATE: Bobby Lutz issued the following statement on Monday:

"First of all, I would like to thank the media for being so fair to me over the years. Our program has benefitted greatly from your coverage.

It has been a wonderful 15 years for me and my family and there's so many people to thank. Jeff Mullins and Melvin Watkins were instrumental to my growth as a coach and I am forever grateful for the opportunity and their guidance.

I have also been fortunate to have terrific assistant coaches and players as well as their families who have sacrificed so much for our success.

Our fans, especially the students who are dear to my heart, have been tremendous and a source of inspiration for me. They deserve the best and that is my hope for them.

Lastly, I've enjoyed the love and support of my family and we have wonderful memories of our times at Charlotte.

In closing, it has been a privilege and pleasure to coach at UNC Charlotte, my alma mater. I have been truly blessed and will forever bleed green."