"Few victories, lack of depth lead to dismissal of Dozier"

After seven seasons with UB, Cheryl Dozier has been dismissed from her position as head coach of the women's basketball team.

Dozier was fired on the heels of the team's poor showing this past year. Her team went 4-24 overall and 2-14 in the Mid-American Conference.

The University's athletic department was disappointed with the direction that Dozier has been taking the team following a winning start. The Bulls went 52-32 overall and 25-23 in the MAC in her first three years with the team.

Dozier coached five All-MAC players and two MAC All-Freshmen selections in her seven years with the Bulls, including Heather Turner, who was selected as the 2004-2005 MAC freshman of the year.

According to Interim Athletic Director Bill Maher, Dozier's firing wasn't based on just the Bulls' poor record over the last couple of years.

"It was a decision that the university made that was based on a number of factors and those factors were certainly the change in the roster, or the lack of depth of talent that we need to be successful," said Maher. "And that's been a result of players who have left over the years."

This year, though the Bulls did not have any players leave the team; they were plagued by injuries, which revealed a severe lack of depth that forced the starting five to play more than 30 minutes each in nearly every game.

Maher is not overly concerned with the effect that this coaching move will have on recruiting for the team because the Bulls have already gotten four students to commit to attending UB next fall. However, he understands that this will force a change in the day-to-day process of the Bulls during this off-season.

"Any change will affect the program," said Maher. "We did sign four student-athletes early, so most of the recruiting for this year has been done. The assistant coaches will remain in place during the transition period and those coaches are working with the current student athletes in their off-season workouts."

Though the assistants are working with the current student-athletes, they will not be attempting to get new recruits to choose Buffalo.

"We will not be engaging in new off-campus recruiting activity until the new coach is hired," said Maher.

Maher has started a nationwide search to find a new head women's basketball coach.

"I think it's important to look and find the best coach we can," Maher said. "If that coach was to come locally that would be welcome, but we won't know that unless we cast our net nationally. That's why I think it's important to have a national search."

The athletic department has not yet specified any names of potential candidates, but an early candidate for the job is Gina Castelli, the current head coach at Siena, according to The Buffalo News. Castelli was a finalist for the UB job seven years ago, but eventually lost out to Dozier.

Maher would not confirm any specific candidates, however.

Maher did not specify whether any candidates were more tempting than others, but he did set a timetable for the athletic department to fill the position.

"We want to fill that as soon as possible and my goal right now is to fill it by May," said Maher.

With the firing of one coach comes the possibility that there are other firings in the works. The athletic department, however, declined to say whether any one coach was in more danger than any other.

"All of our coaches face scrutiny all the time, they're being judged here and obviously at the end of their seasons," said Paul Vecchio, assistant athletic director for communications. "That's certainly the situation with women's basketball, and it's no different with any other sport."

Maher stated that Dozier's firing - though it coincided with the release of the NCAA's Academic Percentage Rankings - had nothing to do with the women's basketball team's poor rating.

"This was not an academically based decision," Maher said.

According to the office of athletic communication, Dozier has chosen not to make any comment at this time.