Loyola (Md.) basketball coach Tavaras Hardy resigns

Loyola (Md.) men's basketball coach Tavaras Hardy announced his resignation after six seasons.

The Greyhounds finished the 2023-24 season with a 7-25 overall record, 5-13 in the Patriot League. Their season ended Tuesday with a 64-48 loss at Navy in the first round of the conference tournament.

Hardy, 44, never had a season with a winning record and leaves with a 66-110 overall record. Hardy led the Greyhounds to the title game of the 2021 Patriot League Championship.

"After much thought and deliberation, I have decided it is best that I step down as head men's basketball coach at Loyola Maryland to pursue other professional opportunities," Hardy said Friday. "I am incredibly grateful to ... university leadership for giving me a chance to be a first-time head coach at a great academic institution. I am proud of many of the things we accomplished and appreciative of the players, families, coaches, staff and supporters that I have had the pleasure of working with over the past six years in Baltimore."

Loyola said it would begin a national search for a new head coach immediately.

Loyola also was in the news Friday when the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency confirmed to Sports Illustrated that the Greyhounds were the target of an inquiry into unusual wagering activity.

"Loyola was made aware of an individual's gambling violation that was promptly reported to the NCAA. The individual was immediately removed from the program, and the NCAA accepted the self-report and took no further action," the school said in a statement to Sports Illustrated. "The conference office investigated to ensure the integrity of League contests by reaching out to U.S. Integrity, the conference's monitoring partner. U.S. Integrity analyzed contests and no anomalies were discovered. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency provided contact information on operators licensed in the state, and those operators confirmed all previously known information."

—Field Level Media