Randy Litchfield is the latest Ball State University coach to find himself without a job.
Litchfield, the women's volleyball coach at Ball State for the past 18 seasons, did not get his contract renewed by Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins Monday.
"It's a personnel decision," Collins said. "At the end of the day I'm responsible for the overall health of the program. I felt it was a decision that had to be made, and we needed new leadership."
Litchfield had no comment but said he would bring in his attorney to resolve the matter.
James Schafer, Litchfield's attorney, said he wouldn't comment on the situation until he met with Litchfield Wednesday morning.
"I have no comment until I get together with him and sit down and go over everything," Schafer said.
The contracts of Litchfield's assistant coaches, Chad Weyenberg and Heidi Zickgraf, also were not renewed. Weyenberg was an assistant for all of Litchfield's 18 seasons while Zickgraf has been on staff for the past eight years.
Neither returned phone calls placed to their homes.
This was the first season in Litchfield's tenure in which his team finished below .500 (12-18). It was also the first time since the MAC expanded its schedule in 1991 from 8 to 16 games that the Cardinals didn't win 10 conference games.
Don Shondell, who coached the men's volleyball team for 34 seasons before retiring in 1998, said it was a possibility some of the current players complained about Litchfield to Collins.
"I think I did hear something mentioned three or four weeks ago that some of the kids had been interviewed by Tom Collins about how they felt playing for Randy and possibly
received some negative feedback," Shondell said.
During this season, three players left the women's volleyball program. Christine Kennedy, Caitlin Morency and Brittany Warnke either quit or were dismissed from the team. Of the three, only Kennedy had played significantly. She started all 17 matches she played in and was fourth on the team with 2.32 kills per game.
However, Shondell said he was surprised about the firing.
"I didn't even consider such a thing because all of his teams have won," Shondell said. "I think I'm just totally surprised and I'm not exactly sure what the circumstances were. It certainly wasn't because of a losing season, with all the success he has had in the past."
In 18 seasons, Litchfield compiled a 373-179 record with a Mid-American Conference mark of 229-60. His teams won seven regular season MAC titles with the last coming in 2002. The Cardinals have six conference tournament titles also. Litchfield's record in the NCAA Tournament is 2-7, with the last win coming against Loyola University Chicago in the first round in 1995.
Litchfield also won the conference's coach of the year award five times.
Litchfield, who played for Shondell at Ball State, was a four-year letter winner, graduating in 1984. He was named Second Team All-American by Asics/Volleyball Monthly his senior year.
During his tenure, Litchfield has more All-MAC selections (59) and Academic All-MAC choices (50) than any other conference school.
Litchfield is the third coach to be removed from coaching duties since Collins took over in January. In March, men's basketball coach Tim Buckley was reassigned to University Development, and softball coach Terri Laux's contract was not renewed in May.
Collins said a national search for Litchfield's replacement would begin immediately.
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