Men’s basketball coach Mike Jarvis was entering the Athletic Department’s monthly staff meeting when he was intercepted by Craig Angelos. The basketball coach became one of the first members in Athletics to learn of Angelos’ firing.

According to Jarvis, Angelos waited until the end of his meeting to drop the bombshell on the rest of his department. “They were surprised. No one had any idea this was coming,” Jarvis said. “It took a lot of character. Most guys, if they found out they were gone, they’d just be putting stuff in boxes.”

Angelos, it appears, will wait until next week to pack. Jarvis said Angelos revealed to his staff, “That he had been relieved of his duties and he planned a little vacation to go with his family to Disney. Next week he will be coming back to pick up his belongings.”

Today, however, Angelos refused to sit down for an interview. He said he would not respond to any media requests, as he walked out the door of his office for one of the last times. Face quivering and eyes red, he passed his secretary and muttered that he was both shocked and saddened, and felt incapable of currently discussing his situation.

“I’m not talking to anybody right now,” Angelos said. “Maybe one day I will.”

Staff officials, from secretaries and tutors all the way to coaches and media relations also refused to offer any details.

Of the eight athletes from four different teams who were initially interested in talking with the UP, none knew about Angelos’s firing.

“He’s fired?” one anonymous football player asked in shock.

Another athlete didn’t even know who Angelos was. “Who is that guy?” asked Ariel Burrell, a member of the women’s track team.

And although Angelos works closely with all the coaches in the athletic department (he’s responsible for the hiring and firing of all of them) several coaches revealed they had not informed their teams.

Carl Pelini, FAU’s football coach, refused to meet with the UP and baseball coach John McCormick said he was not allowed to speak until he was given the green light from media relations. Only Jarvis went on the record.

He, too, has been fired before and understands the difficulties Angelos is going through. Jarvis plans to write the former Athletic Director a thank you letter, since Angelos is the one who gave Jarvis his second chance, and that he and most the staff will be sad to see Angelos go.

“Whether they liked him or not, whether they had a relationship with him or not, nobody wants to see him fired,” Jarvis said. “I was surprised, especially because it was so late in the year. Yet, we’re in a business where — if you’re an athletic director or a coach — it’s not uncommon.”

Currently, Melissa Dawson is the interim Athletic Director. Jarvis thinks FAU is probably already searching for a permanent replacement. “[The search] probably started the minute they fired Craig. They don’t wait.”