The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has fired head men’s basketball coach, Pat Baldwin, after five seasons on the job.
The announcement comes less than 24 hours after the Panthers Horizon League Tournament loss to UIC at UWM Panther Arena.
In a statement released by the University Wednesday afternoon, Milwaukee Athletic Director, Amanda Braun explains, “We appreciate Pat’s genuine commitment to our student-athletes, whether that was on the court, in the classroom, or as a mentor to young adults. We certainly wish him and his family all the best moving forward.”
A season that started with high expectations, fell flat. Despite the addition of Baldwin’s son, Patrick, a consensus top-10 national recruit and projected first round pick in June’s NBA draft, the Panthers finished a with a record of 10-22.
Baldwin Junior appeared in just 11 games for the Panthers due to foot and ankle injuries along with a bout of COVID-19. With their prize recruit sitting more games than he played, the Panthers finished a disappointing 9th in the Horizon League with a record of 8-14.
While Baldwin’s first season with the Panthers was his best, he was never able to guide the program to a record above .500. The Panthers best league finish under Baldwin was a 5th place finish after the 2017-18 season. His team closed out this season losing 10 of it’s last 13 games.
While no official announcement has been made, with Baldwin Sr. out, it would come as no surprise if Baldwin Jr. announced a forfeiture of his final three seasons of eligibility to enter the NBA draft.
Baldwin leaves Milwaukee with a record of 57-92 in five seasons.
