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South Florida fired coach Orlando Antigua on Tuesday after a disappointing 2 1/2-year stint. Antigua, 43, compiled a 23-55 overall record and the basketball program is being investigated for academic fraud. The Bulls are 6-7 this season after losing their first two American Athletic Conference games.
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Murry Bartow will serve as the interim coach.
"After a thorough and deliberate review of our men's basketball program, a decision has been made to make a head coaching change," athletic director Mark Harlan wrote in a letter posted on the school's athletic website. "I met with Coach Antigua earlier today to inform him of this and to thank him for his service to USF. We wish Coach Antigua and his family the very best."
Antigua spent six seasons as an assistant coach under John Calipari at Memphis and Kentucky before being hired by South Florida.
His brother, Oliver, was part of the staff but resigned last summer, shortly after it was revealed the program was being investigated for academic fraud.
Player defections have also been a problem during Antigua's tenure. The latest occurred last month when the team's best player, sophomore guard Jahmal McMurray, announced he was leaving the program.
Antigua went 9-23 in his first season as coach and 8-25 last season.
Bartow, the son of college coaching legend Gene Bartow, has a 327-248 mark in 18 seasons. He spent six years as coach at Alabama-Birmingham and 12 at Eastern Tennessee State.
Bartow has coached four NCAA seasons -- one at UAB and three at Eastern Tennessee State.
