Acres Announces His Resignation as Oral Roberts Basketball Coach

Oral Roberts basketball Coach Dick Acres resigned Tuesday, ending 2 1/2 years of coaching the Titans.

Acres announced his resignation three days after Oral Roberts ended its season with a 15-15 record. His last game was a loss Saturday to Loyola of Chicago for the Midwestern City Conference tournament championship.

Acres was Oral Roberts’ sixth coach since the school opened in 1965. He leaves the university with a record of 47-34.

Acres did not give a reason for his resignation, but there had been speculation that he would not return after the Titans, who were favored to repeat as conference champions and contend for a Top 20 finish, stumbled on a tough nonconference schedule, which included games with North Carolina and Tulsa.

In a statement released during the news conference, Oral Roberts athletic director Larry Cochell said no timetable has been set for hiring a new coach. However, he says the university hopes to have a new coach by national signing day.

Cochell said assistant coaches John Block and Dolph Carroll will be asked to stay on to continue the university’s recruitment efforts.

Acres, 50, was a high school coach at Carson, Calif., for 12 years before joining Oral Roberts’ staff as an assistant in 1981. He took over as interim head coach in 1982. He guided Oral Roberts to an 11-9 record and was given the job on a permanent basis.

The following season, Acres directed the Titans to a 21-10 record; the Midwestern City Conference title, and into the NCAA tournament.