Charlie Coles by the numbers
As a coach: 263-224 in 16 seasons at Miami; 355-308 in 22 seasons overall
As a player: Ranks 28th in MU school history with 1,096 points
TOLEDO — The Charlie Coles era at Miami University came to an emotional finish Monday night at Savage Arena.
The RedHawks men’s basketball coach announced his retirement after his RedHawks lost to Toledo 60-53 in the first round of the Mid-American Conference tournament.
“This is it. I’m gone,” said the 70-year-old Coles, who got a rousing ovation as he prepared to leave his final postgame press conference. “I’m whipped. It’s time for somebody else to coach Miami. I’ve got the best athletic director (Brad Bates) who ever, ever lived. I can’t thank him enough. The things he’s allowed me to do ... a crazy man on the sidelines, intermingling with fans and showing off and everything.
“I’ve always thought when you work with good human beings, you’re the richest man in the world,” he added. “The same way with my school, my president. I appreciate everything given to me. I have no gripe whatsoever.”
Coles finished 263-224 in 16 seasons at Miami, his alma mater. He was 355-308 in 22 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
The RedHawks finished 9-21 this year, becoming the first team in MU history to lose 20 games on the court. The 1988-89 squad went 5-23, but eight of those defeats were forfeits.
Coles has dealt with repeated health issues through the years and said the decision to retire was finalized after he was hospitalized recently with a virus.
“I made this decision before the year started,” Coles said. “Not the final decision, but the overall feeling. The final decision came when I got sick two weeks ago.
“I had a talk with my doctor,” he continued. “He said, ‘You’re going to be OK for three or four years, but sooner or later, you’re a guy that’s had two bypasses and extreme heart problems. So why don’t you just start considering not doing it now?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ It was a tough thing for me to tell my family, but I’ve got to go on. I’m at the next phase. I don’t know what the next phase is. There’s got to be another good phase, right?”
Coles said he won’t miss the referees and long bus trips to places like Northern Illinois and Buffalo. He’ll miss the day-to-day interaction with his players.
“Rough years have never been my reason for coaching,” Coles said. “I just wanted to coach this year. I just had the rush. If you coach good kids that give you most of what they’ve got, can you put up with the results? I think I can. Now that’s the only excuse I’ll ever give. I had a good time this year. Now I cried a lot, but I had a good time.”
Monday’s game was the 18th loss by 10 points or less this season for the RedHawks. They roared back from a 49-33 deficit to take a 53-52 lead against UT, but didn’t score in the last 5:34.
Drew McGhee (16) and Julian Mavunga (12) were the top scorers for Miami. Rian Pearson had 21 points for the Rockets (17-15).
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