Jimmy Patsos resigned on Friday afternoon from his post as coach of the Siena Saints.
The resignation comes after news surfaced last week that Patsos was accused of verbally abusing a Siena team manager who lives with obsessive compulsive disorder. Last Friday, on April 6, Patsos held a press conference and defended himself, stating, "I never taunted, harassed or abused this young man. We did know that he had OCD. He was adamant that he wanted to be treated the same as anyone else."
A formal complaint was logged against Patsos in February, according to the Times Union of Albany. The alleged harassment of the team manager was not the only issue regarding Patsos.
Extensive reporting by the Times Union revealed that the probe was expanded to look into whether Patsos or his staff improperly withheld per diem payments from players and team aides, and a charge Patsos shoved redshirt junior guard Kadeem Smithen out of his chair during a team film session.
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Former Siena forward Jimmy Paige, who played for Siena from 2014-16, said abusive language from Patsos was among the reasons he transferred to Division II Virginia Union.
"He was a good person at heart, but he does have that side to him that I could see being considered as abusive, I guess,'' Paige said. "He's the type of person that has no filter. If you know him, he has no filter and anything is capable of coming out, whether he means it or he's just joking."
"Regarding the per diems, I have no knowledge about these reports," Patsos said at his press conference last Friday.
And now he is out after five seasons with the program, going 77-92 in that span. The Saints went just 8-24 last season. They did not make the NCAA Tournament in Patsos' tenure.
Patsos' contract at Siena ran through the 2020-21 season. The 51-year-old was also previously the coach at Loyola of Maryland. Prior to that he was a 13-year assistant for Gary Williams at Maryland.
"Siena's founding Franciscan tradition calls upon us to honor the fundamental dignity of every person," Siena president Edward Coughlin said via statement. "Our core values demand compassion and help shape a community where all should feel welcomed, respected, and cherished. As we look forward to a new chapter in Siena men's basketball, our shared commitment to upholding these ideals will continue to guide us."
With Siena's head coaching spot now open, Patrick Beilein has immediately surfaced as a potential candidate to fill the vacancy. Beilein is the 35-year-old son of Michigan coach John Beilein. Sources told CBS Sports that he passed on potential job offers from Bryant and Marist already this spring. Beilein currently coaches at Division II Le Moyne, which coincidentally beat Siena in an exhibition last November.
