UAPB fires coach

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff announced Tuesday it has fired Nate Kilbert, its women’s basketball coach. Kilbert was 57184 in six-plus seasons at UAPB, including 3-7 this season.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff announced Tuesday that it has fired women’s basketball coach Nate Kilbert 10 games into the 2018-19 season.

Kilbert was 57-184 in sixplus seasons at UAPB, including 3-7 in the first 10 games of this season.

Assistant coach Danny Evans — UAPB’s women’s basketball head coach from 200509 who was once fired by the school before being hired onto Kilbert’s staff in 2012 — was named UAPB’s interim head coach. A “nationwide” search for a new head coach will begin at the end of the 2018-19 season, UAPB Athletic Director Melvin Hines said.

“From an athletic standpoint, we can perform better,” Hines said. “When you look at our total body of work this year and you look at what has transpired over the last couple years, you’d know it was needed.”

Under Evans, UAPB finished the 2005-06 season at 7-21. The next season, UAPB recorded its first double-digit victory season (11-20) since it rejoined the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 199798 and advanced to the conference tournament quarterfinal round.

“He’s been a head coach before, so he’s been through this process,” Hines said. “You never say it’s going to be an easy transition, but he’s been in this seat before, so he knows what to do.”

UAPB is 0-3 against the SWAC this season, including home losses to Mississippi Valley State (62-56) on Jan. 5, Alabama State (58-56, OT) on Saturday, and Alabama A&M (78-52) on Monday.

Kilbert was hired by UAPB in 2012 after 11 seasons at Mississippi Valley State, where he led the Devilettes to a SWAC regular-season championship in 2011-12.

Since Kilbert’s hiring, UAPB has qualified for five SWAC tournaments, including a 2013 conference tournament finals loss to Prairie View A&M.

After an 8-21 season in 2017-18, UAPB was 11-28 in the past season and a half under Kilbert.

Other than a 9-9 season in 2016-17, the Golden Lions finished with seven or fewer wins against SWAC opponents in every season under Kilbert.

“We need to breathe some fresh air into our women’s basketball program,” Hines said.