Air Force, basketball coach Joe Scott part ways after 6 seasons

Air Force and men’s basketball head coach Joe Scott have agreed to part ways, the academy announced Friday.

Scott was in his sixth season of his second stint as the Falcons’ head coach, and had been suspended since Jan. 17 pending an investigation into the treatment of cadet-athletes.

Air Force Academy, Men’s Basketball Coach Joe Scott announce mutual parting of wayshttps://t.co/MMdbFD1iIM

— Air Force Falcons (@AF_Falcons) February 20, 2026

Scott coached the program from 2000-01 to 2003-04, a run highlighted by the program’s lone conference championship in 2003–04 when Air Force went 12–2 in the Mountain West Conference. Scott departed for his alma mater, Princeton, after the Falcons lost to North Carolina in the Round of 64 in the 2004 NCAA Tournament.

Scott returned in 2020, but the program struggled to gain traction. Scott compiled a 46–120 overall record and 15–84 mark in conference play before his suspension. The Falcons were 3-14 (0-6 MWC) and on a 10-game losing streak when he was suspended and haven’t won since.

Air Force is one of just three Division I programs without a senior on its roster. For the next head coach, roster retention will be critical as the Falcons look to build continuity and reset the foundation of the program.