March 15, 2005

Boca Raton, FL - Sidney Green, who guided FAU to the 2002 NCAA Basketball Tournament, will no longer serve as Florida Atlantic University's men's basketball coach, announced Florida Atlantic Athletics Director Craig Angelos, Tuesday. Green will be reassigned within the university and the department will begin a national search for his replacement.

"Sidney is an outstanding individual and a good friend," said Angelos. "As he and I talked about the future of the basketball program, it was determined that it may be time to go in a different direction. He was very gracious and wished us nothing but the best for the future. Therefore, we will start a national search immediately."

Florida Atlantic will play one more season as part of the A-Sun, which has an RPI ranking of no. 20 among all Division I conferences. In 2006-2007 the Owls will move into the Sun Belt Conference which holds an RPI of no. 12. By making a coaching change now, the incoming coach will be afforded the opportunity to vie for the A-Sun title in 2005-06 and to mold the squad for the 2006-07 transition into the Sun Belt.

Green posted a record of 54-121 in his six seasons at FAU. He is 103-181 in his 10 year career. He began his tenure with FAU in March of 1999 when he became the fourth head men's basketball coach in Florida Atlantic history. In 2001-02, he guided Florida Atlantic into the national spotlight with its first Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and first trip to the NCAA Tournament. He was also named the A-Sun Coach-of-the-Year in 2002. Green's 2001-02 Owls won 19 games after a combined nine victories the previous two seasons. He helped bring respect to a team that went winless in conference play just two years earlier. The 19 wins are the most by an FAU team since the program moved to Division I in 1993.

"I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity to coach men's basketball at FAU," said Green. "I've had the chance to coach some outstanding student-athletes. I look back fondly on what we were able to accomplish and look forward to seeing FAU basketball grow from the foundation we have built. FAU basketball will always be special to me."

Green began his collegiate head coaching career in 1995 at Southampton College (LIU). In his first season, he guided Southampton to a 16-13 record, their best season in more than 20 years. The Runnin' Colonials participated in their first post-season appearance in 15 years and returned to the NYCAC playoffs the following season.

After compiling a 29-27 record at Southampton, Green took the helm at the University of North Florida in 1997. In his first season, the Ospreys finished 8-17, assuming another coach's squad. During his second season, Green reaped the reward of his strong recruiting ability increasing the team's winning percentage by more than 30-percent to finish 12-16. In 1999-2000 at FAU, Green led the team to its first-ever victory in the A-Sun Tournament, that season, the team improved by five victories while securing a second-straight opening round victory at the A-Sun Tournament.

A former New York City high school Player-of-the-Year and All-American at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Green was a first-round selection of the Chicago Bulls in the 1983 NBA Draft. He played alongside Michael Jordan for two years before being traded to the New York Knicks where he played under Rick Pitino and with Patrick Ewing. In 1989, Green was the first selection by the Orlando Magic in the NBA expansion draft. Green was a power forward/center and team captain for the Magic, prior to his trade to the San Antonio Spurs, where he played for Larry Brown. He also played for the Detroit Pistons under Chuck Daly and finished his career with the Charlotte Hornets. Off the court, he served as a players' representative for the NBA Players Association.

Green earned a sociology degree from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he was a four-year scholarship basketball player and, in 1983, an All-American. A sociology scholarship for minority students has been established in his name at UNLV. Green remains the all-time leading rebounder (1,276) and second all-time in points scored (2,073) at UNLV. In 1994, he became the first player in UNLV history to have his jersey (#21) retired.