Booth fired from post at Dunbar
Action is result of personnel matter under investigation
Dunbar basketball great Keith Booth, a 1993 graduate who in May was named the coach of the storied boys basketball program he once starred for, has been fired before the end of his first season, according to an email sent to parents by the school’s principal Monday.
The email, obtained by The Baltimore Sun, says “the action was taken as a result of a personnel matter currently under investigation by the Baltimore City Public Schools.”
“Out of respect for Coach Booth’s due process rights as an employee, we are unable to share details of the investigation,” principal Yetunde Reeves wrote. “We are hopeful of concluding the matter quickly, and again, in the best interests of our students.”
Booth, 45, could not be immediately reached for comment. Dunbar athletic director Dana Johnson declined comment.
Dunbar, which will close out the regular season at Forest Park on Tuesday, has a losing record this season and has lost its past three Baltimore City league games against Poly, Lake Clifton and Mervo. Despite winning a state-record 16 state basketball titles, all since 1993 — including a pair of four-peats (2003 to 2006 and 2010 to 2013) — the Poets have won only one championship since, in 2017-18. Dunbar finished 16-9 last season, losing to Lake Clifton in the Class 1A North semifinals.
Booth replaced former Dunbar teammate Cyrus Jones Sr., who stepped down in March after 12 seasons and five state titles.
A McDonald’s All American at Dunbar, Booth went on to enjoy a stellar college career at Maryland before becoming a first-round draft pick, 28th overall, by the Chicago Bulls in 1997. He spent two seasons with the Bulls, winning an NBA championship in 1998.
As a junior at Dunbar in 1992, Booth helped the Poets win their third national championship, following titles in 1983 and 1985.
At Maryland, Booth started 126 games, second most in program history behind Steve Blake (136). He finished his Terps career first in free throws made (576) and attempted (824), sixth in rebounding (916) and ninth in points scored (1,776).
Before getting the Dunbar job, Booth served as an assistant at Maryland from 2004 to 2011 under Gary Williams, followed by stints as an assistant at Loyola Maryland in both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. He also took over as coach of Under Armour’s under-17 team for Team Thrill last spring.
When Booth was introduced as coach in May, Johnson said the school convened a panel to provide a recommendation to then-principal Tammy Mays, and after interviewing five candidates, the decision was made to hire Booth.
“The panel thought he would be the best fit, being an alumni, his background with the NBA and on the college level and currently his connection with some of the better AAU programs in the city. Those were some of things that tilted us in his direction,” Johnson said in a telephone interview with The Baltimore Sun after Booth was hired in May.
“The biggest thing for us at this time because of his college background, and his knowledge of the NCAA recruiting process, and his knowledge of what coaches are looking for in prospective athletes, we felt that is a big bonus for our players to give them the inside track for what it takes [to play at the next level].”