Rich Lee confirmed Tuesday that he was let go after six seasons as Fairfield Prep's boys' basketball coach in a meeting with school athletic director Steve Donahue earlier in the afternoon.
"I'm shocked, I didn't see it coming," Lee said. "He gave me the standard, 'We'll move in a different direction' deal. It was kind of strange timing."
The Jesuits won one Southern Connecticut Conference Quinnipiac Division title during Lee's tenure and advanced to theClass LL state quarterfinals in 2008, beating two-time defending champion Hillhouse in the first round.
Lee, 45, is the basketball director for the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club in Southport. He was also not retained as anassistant football coach after 11 years last fall and the head coach, Bill Pinto, was fired after just one winless season.
"Maybe I'll be sad or angry, I don't know," Lee said. "All I ever wanted for the program was for the kids to call it their own and be proud when they walked away from it."