Sachem alum Jeff Ruland has been fired from his position as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of the District of Columbia.
Ruland, who has a previous connection in the Beltway from being an NBA All-Star with the Washington Bullets in the 1980s, led the Firebirds to a 6-20 record this season. UDC Athletic Director Pat Thomas did not comment when contacted by The Washington Post.
In his fourth season of a five-year contract, Ruland did take the Firebirds from the depths of their Division II conference from 1-20 in his first season to a 22-6 mark during his third year. He also took UDC to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in 25 years.
UDC was on NCAA probation during Ruland’s entire tenure with the Firebirds. As noted in The Washington Post, the probation stemmed from, “the single most egregious lack of institutional control ever seen by the [NCAA] committee.”
Ruland, who graduated from Sachem in 1977 and is the school’s all-time leading scorer, will be inducted to the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in May.
Having taken Iona to three NCAA Tournaments during his previous coaching gig, Ruland has a proven positive coaching track. He’ll be in the mix for another job shortly.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro