University of Alaska Fairbanks men’s basketball head coach Greg Sparling is currently on leave, the News-Miner has learned. Sparling has not coached the team for its past three games dating back to a Dec. 17 tournament in Hawaii.
Sparling is in his sixth season coaching the team. UAF Athletics Director Brock Anundson told the News-Miner by phone Monday that Sparling, who’s listed on the team roster, is still an employee of the university. However, he can’t disclose what type of leave Sparling is on, why he’s on leave, a timeline or what will happen when he returns from leave.
“There’s nothing punitive at this point,” Anundson said.
Drew Hedman, who has also been with the program for six years, took over as acting head coach for the Nanooks’ stay at the Big Island Holiday Classic in mid-December. He got his first win on Dec. 17 when the ‘Nooks beat Hawaii-Hilo in overtime. They lost to San Francisco State by four points the next day.
Hedman spent his first three years with the program as a student-volunteer coach before becoming a volunteer assistant in 2021-22 and a full-time assistant coach last season.
“Being around the game and being here for so long, it’s nothing that I haven’t been prepared to step up for,” Hedman said after UAF’s overtime loss to Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. “So as far as that aspect of it, it’s an exciting stepping stone in my career. And I’m proud to be honored with the chance to have that position at UAF, because I’m from Alaska. And just to be able to coach at this level in the state, it’s an honor. So I just take that opportunity and seize it.”
Hedman found out around Christmas time that he’d be the acting head coach for the Nanooks’ first home game in nearly two months.
“There was still a lot of things in the air, and whatever happens moving forward, we’re going to roll with it as a team,” Hedman said. “And I’m going to continue to coach, and my guys are going to continue to work hard.”
UAF has two home games this week: against Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.
Milo Griffin has been promoted to acting assistant coach after previously being a volunteer assistant coach. Griffin, who was the UAF men’s basketball program’s leading scorer for over three decades, has his jersey number retired and previously served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at UAF from 1993-96.
“As we move forward in the season, those two will be the cornerstones of the program,” Anundson said of Hedman and Griffin.
Sparling previously coached for more than two decades at his alma mater, Central Washington, which is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference alongside UAF. Central Washington director of athletics Dennis Francois did not renew Sparling’s contract in 2018 but was complimentary of Sparling’s contributions to the program.
“After a thorough review of our men’s basketball program, I came to the conclusion that it was in the program’s best interest to go in a different direction” Francois said in a release after the decision.
The News-Miner made multiple attempts to reach Sparling for comments.
Contact Gavin Struve at gstruve@newsminer.com or 907-459-7544
