A season-opening upset of O.J. Mayo and Southern California was a thrill, but it wasn't enough to save the job of 11th-year head coach Mark Slonaker.

Slonaker's contract was not renewed after the Bears finished in an eighth-place tie with Division I newcomer Florida Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun. Mercer dropped its last five games and nine of its last 11. The Bears had almost as many wins away from home (five) as they did at the University Center (six).

Mercer was picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll and even received one first-place ballot. Instead, the Bears went 0-7 against the schools that finished in the top four in the A-Sun and lost to three teams going through the Division I transition process: Kennesaw State, North Florida and USC Upstate.

The Bears were 0-8 when scoring fewer than 70 points and 6-13 in games decided by fewer than 10 points.

With nine returning players coming back, Slonaker (128-189) believes the Bears will be more competitive in 2008-09.

"I think that the new coach (with this group) will really have a chance to have a good basketball team," he told the Macon Telegraph.

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