The AU athletic department declined to renew men’s soccer head coach Todd West’s contract last week, according to a department press release. West, who served as head coach for 19 seasons and led the team to nine Patriot League finals and three NCAA tournament appearances, said that he was “surprised” by the department’s decision.
In their release, the department said West was leaving “to pursue other professional opportunities.” West told The Eagle that he did not voluntarily leave. Instead, he did not have his contract renewed in his end-of-year meeting with athletic director Billy Walker and associate athletic director Andrew Smith on Nov. 26.
“[I was] a bit shocked that I was not given a heads up and told in the end of the year meeting that they will not renew my contract,” West told The Eagle. “We had a young team. We had five freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors, no seniors. We had everyone coming back so I was absolutely thinking that they would to let me continue to develop the young guys.”
West said putting out that press release was “just the soft way of letting someone go.” At the beginning of the season, West said, he asked Walker for a contract extension, knowing that he was going to have a young team and needed time to develop the players.
“I would have a year or two to prepare those guys to win in ‘19 or ‘20, and that opportunity was taken away from me,” West said.
West said he was uncertain of where he would end up next, though he said he will likely put his “name in the hat” for a couple of Division I coaching jobs.
“I always say if one door closes another opens, so I’m trying to see what door might open,” West said.
