Western New Mexico Coach Fired for Slur

Western New Mexico fired men’s coach Joe Mondragon on Saturday after investigating a complaint that he used a racial slur toward black players on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“In the investigation itself, it was determined that there was a statement made with the ‘N’ word being used,” Athletic Director Scott Woodard said. “The university and the department can’t have tolerance of those kinds of matters. In the best interest of the institution, that was the decision we needed to move forward with.”

Junior guard David Harris said Mondragon used the slur on the team bus after a loss at Adams State in Alamosa, Colo., on Monday night. Harris has quit the team.

Harris said Mondragon ordered the four non-black players, a trainer and an assistant off the bus. Harris said he was one of six black players who stayed and were addressed by Mondragon.

After directing the slur at the players, Harris said the coach added: “On Martin Luther King’s birthday, this is how you’re acting. He wouldn’t want you to act like that, but that’s how you’re acting.”

Other black players signed a statement saying they won’t play if the school didn’t fire Mondragon, he said.

Woodard said the school’s faculty athletics representative, Roland Shook, met with the six players and, based on his findings, Mondragon was fired.

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Hugh Durham became the 10th active coach to reach 600 career victories when Jacksonville beat struggling Gardner Webb, 87-75, on Saturday night.

Durham joined Jim Phelan, Bob Knight, Lou Henson, Eddie Sutton, John Chaney, Lute Olson, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim as the only active coaches with 600 victories.

Durham is only the 32nd Division I coach to reach that milestone.

“I’m glad to get it on the first try because I didn’t want the pressure to build about it,” said Durham, who has coached a combined 35 years at Florida State, Georgia and Jacksonville.

He is one of 11 coaches to take two schools to the Final Four, leading Florida State to the national title game in 1972 and Georgia to a third-place finish in 1983.