ARLINGTON, Texas — UT Arlington fired second-year head coach Greg Young with six games left in the regular season.

Royce Johnson was named interim head coach for the Mavericks (9-16, 4-8 WAC), who play their next game Wednesday at Sam Houston State. They are in their first season playing in the Western Athletic Conference and made their only NCAA Tournament appearance 15 years ago.

Young's departure from the program was announced Friday, a day after a 64-58 win at UT-Rio Grande Valley. He was 20-34 as head coach after being a UT Arlington assistant from 2009-21, working for former head coaches Scott Cross and Chris Ogden.

“Following a holistic evaluation of our program, the determination was made that now is the most advantageous time for us to make this move,” athletic director Jon Fagg said. “Change is rarely easy, and this decision was no different, but we need to inject a new, impactful, results-driven energy into the program. We are in a new, extremely competitive conference, and a fresh perspective will give us the best opportunity to elevate our program to the consistent championship level our supporters and student-athletes deserve."

Johnson is in his fifth season on the Mavericks' staff. He was associate head coach since the start of the 2021-22 season after three years as an assistant for Ogden.