Bradley has answered the question I (and many others) posed back on January 14: “Will this be the last year for Les?” Answer: Yes. Here’s a compilation of quotes from Bradley’s Director of Athletics Dr. Michael Cross, as reported in the media:

I want to acknowledge Coach Les’ service to Bradley University. An alumnus of Bradley, Jim has served as head coach for nearly a decade and is an important figure in Bradley’s rich basketball history….

Bradley University is committed to philosophically and competitively moving our basketball program forward. While changing head coaches is always difficult, this action is in the long-term, best interests of Bradley basketball, our student-athletes and the University as a whole….

There were a number of factors that were considered in my analysis. This decision was made after a great deal of thought and research, and was not made lightly….

Honoring Bradley’s basketball tradition demands high expectations for our program both on and off the court. We have made and will continue to make significant investments in our program in order to achieve future success….

Bradley will aggressively pursue a new head coach with outstanding leadership skills, one with values that are aligned with the University’s and modeled for our student-athletes. We fully expect to hire a coach who will also provide our student-athletes the opportunity for both a distinctive education and a championship experience.