Ole Miss Athletic Director Pete Boone didn’t have much of a choice, but we’re still saddened by the ouster of Rebel basketball coach Rod Barnes, one of college athletics’ good guys.

Barnes, a former star player at Ole Miss and a one-time assistant coach at then-Livingston University, is a great Christian role model and mentor of young adults. Whether he has coached his team to a big victory or a crushing defeat, Barnes starts every postgame press conference by thanking God for another opportunity to coach a sport he loves.

Ultimately, though, Barnes failed to deliver on what is unquestionably the bottom line in college sports: winning. The Rebels have suffered three consecutive losing seasons since Barnes led his team to the NCAA tournament in three of his first four seasons, including an appearance in the round of 16 in 2001. As the losses mounted, fan support for the program dwindled, costing the Ole Miss athletic program valuable revenue.

Boone, whose primary job is to keep the Rebel sports program in the black, made a business decision to cut ties with Barnes. It may have been the right call, but we feel bad for Barnes, who is just four victories short of becoming Ole Miss’ winningest coach.

It’s not likely given the team’s poor performance of late, but we’re pulling for Ole Miss to make a successful run in this week’s SEC Tournament and send Barnes out on a winning note.