Beware the Ides of March.
Today, DU Athletics announced the departure of basketball Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun on Twitter stating “DU Athletics and head coach Jeff Wulbrun have mutually agreed to part ways.”
Denver men’s basketball update: DU Athletics and head coach Jeff Wulbrun have mutually agreed to part ways after Wulbrun’s four seasons with the program.#GoPioshttps://t.co/X2DPVJU2Bz
— Denver Men’s Basketball (@DU_MensHoops) March 20, 2025
Our antenna went up this past weekend when a small college basketball site, Coaching Changes on Twitter reported that fourth-year Denver Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun was “out” at Denver.
BREAKING – Jeff Wulbrun out at Denver. Complicated process over the past month in the background. AD really dropped the ball on how to handle all of this.
— Coaching Changes (@CoachingChanges) March 15, 2025
This report comes after Denver Athletic Director Josh Berlo had placed Wulbrun “on leave for the remainder of the season” on Feb. 21st, during this season’s stretch drive.
DU’s Department of Athletics had not responded to a recent attempt to contact the department for comment on the program status and authorization to speak to head coach Wulbun. In a previously written response from Berlo following shortly after the Berlo ‘leave’, was met with “No changes are planned ”. That was followed by a Tweet from basketball insider Jeff Goodman with a similar message:
Denver athletic director Josh Berlo to @TheFieldOf68 on Jeff Wulbrun’s status:
“We are NOT seeking a new head coach, and no change is planned for next season,” Berlo told @TheFieldOf68.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 26, 2025
Clearly, that is not the case. Wulbrun will be leaving the Pioneers with two years remaining on his contract.
Wulbrun had been hired by former DU Athletic Director Karlton Creech in March of 2021 with much fanfare, as Wulbrun came to Denver from Stanford University, where he was Associate Head Coach. Wulbrun’s coaching record improved each year in his first three seasons, with his Denver team making the finals of the conference tournament last season (2024). This season, following injuries and a key departure, Denver finished 11-21 and was the seventh seed in the conference tournament.
We will be following this announcement with a post-mortem and discuss the sequence of events that led to Wulbrun’s departure and the future of DU men’s basketball.
Angry. 😡.
The lack of transparency of this Athletic department is inexcusable.
Without knowing all the facts, it’s impossible to provide an intelligent comment.
This is an excellent example of “nice guys finish last”. Jeff Wulbrun is one of the most ethical and high character individuals I have met. The student-athletes were failed by destroying their season and their DU experience. The community members who were helping build a program for the first time since DU became D1 in the modern era had their efforts thrown away by the AD.
Until ethics return to the Athletic Department Administration, I will not spend any time or money on DU sports. A tragic end to over 15 years as a season ticket holder.
If you’re placed on leave that implies an HR/legal type investigation. If you just “don’t win” you just get canned (even though admittedly the bar for DU basketball is pretty low). Obviously suspicious that it’s an off the court issue but doubt we’ll know what happened or what he was possibly accused of.
Josh Berlo needs to fired !!!
I agree. DU is better than this. Guess what Berlo, unethical conduct means you can be fired for cause. In other words, no buyout for you Jeffy Boy. Hopefully Wilbrun sues the shit out of DU and becomes wealthy from this fiasco.
This was not a convectional coaching dismissal. The only public info we have right now is that Berlo suspended Wulbrun in season, then Berlo seemed to back Wulbrun and now, after more silence, Wulbrun is out, likely with a settlement.
The whole thing reeks. Wulbrun has done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment as far as we know. Until DU comes out with a better explanation, we can only assume that DU did Wulbrun dirty….
Wulbrun is a quality coach, but DI men’s basketball is probably the toughest NCAA job. DU does not have a large commitment as they play in a high school size gym, no pep band, marginal league and no energy. How do you recruit with those things going on? Any good players almost immediately transfer.
I still want to know how Joe Scott left the program. He was was successful with little resources.
I agree about the lack of transparency.
My guess is that DU wanted to fire him, and thought that if they suspended him for a while, he’d just quit and that would save DU the rest of the contract money they owned Wulbrun.
Will not be renewing season tickets which I’ve held for more than a decade. This admin and AD clearly don’t care about building a legitimate basketball program. What coach is going to want to come in and build this program after this?
Poorly handled by Josh Berlo is an understatement. Would they have handled a hockey coach the same way!?
The problem is DU basketball is too small a fish for media to have the resources to care about
Josh “WTF” Berlo has tarnished the DU Athletic Dept and to a greater extent, the university as a whole with the way this “leave” was handled. He had PLENTY of opportunities to course-correct, but he chose the path that will likely cause irreparable damage to the Men’s Basketball Program for the foreseeable future. This move by Berlo has utterly DISRESPECTED each and every player, coach, and donor.
During Wulbrun’s tenure, and for the FIRST time since the Men’s Basketball Program moved back into the D1 landscape, a SIGNIFICANT amount of money was “invested” in the program by their donor-base (including the NIL). This alone speaks volumes about the culture Wulbrun was in the mist of building, the leadership (both on and off the court) he was instilling in these kids, and the belief this problem was headed for greatness. Berlo DESTROYED all that and needs answer for his actions.
If this is a basketball move then Berlo is delusional to fire him! There isn’t going to be significant improvemnwt with a new coach in today’s environment. The new transfer rules are going to kill mid major and small schools any player who improves will just transfer to a big school.
I understand there may be more to the story and because of confidentiality we may never know if there was more.
But if this is purely a basketball move it is absolutely insane!
To fire Wulbrun before his contract is up is nuts. I hope some type of media put Berlo up to some questions!
Berlo needs to be fired! I will not be renewing season tickets until then.
Highly likely non-basketball issue you never get to hear about as neither party can talk under typical agreements ( if that’s what happened)
I’m not one to comment online, but I just can’t hold my ground this time. Berlo is absolutely weak and has no class… the university needs to question his motives and his decision making and how it reflects on the university’s reputation and impacts the student-athlete’s lives. Berlo has dug a hole and the question on all of our minds is… How deep will DU let that hole get before it’s overall reputation gets damaged further?
What is the overall institutional mission at DU? Do these recent actions by Josh Berlo support that mission? That’s something for the Chancellor and Board of Trustees to answer (or not answer)… and then we’ll get our answer.
A very bizarre and sad story. And certainly a sad day for the basketball program. I thought Wulbrun was the right person to lead this program.
Without knowing any details, my reactions are:
1. I hope Wulbrun is ok.
2. In what direction is this program going???
3. Who is going to want to coach here?
4. Who is going to want to play here?
Mark my words…
Josh Berlo (if he doesn’t get dismissed first, ha!) will be interviewing Justin Wieck (Minnesota Duluth’s current Head Coach).
This may give us all some insight into the dirty motives of Berlo, as well as his future at the University of Denver.
Haefner will ask for Berlo’s resignation, the sooner the better. Maybe I’m wrong, but from what I’ve heard about coach Wilbrun, it’s highly unlikely he violated any moral clause that might be in his contract. Hopefully Jeff has a good attorney who is ready to pounce on DU, and I love DU. The fact that we suck in basketball has zero to do with the overall issues involved.
It’s a shame all around. I don’t think this year’s disappointing season is a result of poor coaching or poor recruiting. The injuries were tough. I don’t think this season reflects the trajectory the team was enjoying. The last few years have brought steady improvement. I agree we won’t do better. I’m afraid we all see what’s next. Losing our HC means everyone will transfer out and we’ll start over again. Felt like we were on the cusp of something big just a year ago.
I just read the full press release from the University of Denver.
Berlo: “We appreciate Jeff’s dedication to recruiting high-character student-athletes that fit the prestigious academic model and 4D experience that is the foundation of the University of Denver.”
Wulbrun lived up to the DU standards; Berlo did just the opposite.
Berlo’s hypocrisy in mentioning the 4D experience is next level.
4D: 1) Advancing Intellectual Growth 2) Pursuing Careers & Lives of Purpose 3) Promoting Well-being 4) Exploring Character
Bizarre handling of this situation. Sad. It will be very hard to find another coach with Wulbrun’s résumé and passion for the job
I don’t know what happened here. But I never liked Kreech, and I don’t like Berlo. Berlo just comes off as kind of sleezy. While DU has maintained athletic success, I don’t think that we have had a likeable AD since Peg.
This is a very sad situation. So many people have been hurt here on all sides.
I am gutted right now…
Hold on everyone. I smell more goings on then we are privy to. For instance,, Wilbrun was suspended early in the season. What was that about?? There are pieces in this puzzle that are missing. let’s cool it for a while
When was he suspended earlier in the season?
Wulbrun was not suspended “early in the season” at all. He was placed on leave with two regular season games remaining.
It’s hard to imagine this being handled any worse by Josh Berlo. DU has put its trust in Berlo and he is chasing mediocrity from the Mens basketball program. It’s clear they don’t see it as valuable to the university and Berlo would much rather have a coach who doesn’t ruffle any feathers than one who is building a successful program and demands the resources to do so.
Wulbrun was legitimately building something (seemingly against all odds) and it’s sad to see it torn down by a shortsighted AD.
How can we judge the situation or the people without having more information?
By reading what we just posted which offers more information: https://letsgodu.com/2025/03/21/jeff-wulbrun-out-part-1-how-it-all-unraveled/
If there was “cause” here, Berlo could provide information and clarity. He hasn’t and instead is ducking calls from reporters and alumni and boosters. That says more than anything else.
University of Denver basketball is a joke. Nevermind the coaching situation. The school is in the wrong conference (many of the same teams from the D2 days) and doesn’t put any money into the program. Heck, it plays games in a glorified high school gym instead of the room next door that can hold 8,000 for basketball ( I remember when they played games in the main part). Insiders at DU say the athletic administration is “weird”.
As a dedicated supporter and season ticket holder of DU basketball, I am deeply disheartened by the recent developments surrounding Coach Wulbrun’s departure. The lack of transparent communication from Athletic Director Josh Berlo and the administration has left our student-athletes in a state of uncertainty and distress. These young men, who have committed themselves to representing our university with pride, deserve better than to be left in the dark about their futures.
The appointment of Tim Bergstraser, while notable for his achievements at the Division II level, raises concerns about the direction of our program. His introductory press conference did little to instill confidence, and the emphasis on recruiting from lower divisions without addressing the status of our current players suggests a disconnect from the values and aspirations of our institution.
The University of Denver has long prided itself on excellence, both academically and athletically. It’s imperative that our leadership reflects this standard by prioritizing the well-being of our student-athletes and maintaining open lines of communication. The current approach undermines the trust and integrity that are foundational to our community.
I urge the administration to reevaluate its strategies and recommit to the principles that have made DU a respected name in collegiate athletics. Our student-athletes, alumni, and supporters deserve nothing less.