Metress forced to take a seat

Augusta State coach Dip Metress did not accompany his team Monday night to Savannah, Ga.

Instead, the second-year Jaguars coach served a one-game suspension assessed by the school after his team's 77-64 home loss Saturday to USC Upstate.

Metress was ejected with 47 seconds remaining in the contest after picking up his second technical foul. Assistant coach Jay Newberry took the reins for Metress on Monday night vs. Armstrong Atlantic - and the Jaguars responded with a 64-58 upset over the Peach Belt Conference-leading Pirates.

Metress received a public reprimand for unsportsmanlike conduct by the Peach Belt Conference after last season's conference tournament semifinal game against USC Upstate, a 79-63 loss. In that game, he called three consecutive timeouts midway through the second half and took his team to the free-throw line to applaud the fans inside Christenberry Fieldhouse.

He called his two remaining timeouts in the final minute of that contest. He and his players gave the fans another standing ovation, this time from the bench.

After the season, Augusta State athletic director Clint Bryant implemented guidelines for bench decorum for the men's team for the 2005-06 season. Bryant said he set the rules in place because, "I think our team led the league in technical fouls."

Bryant said he discussed with Metress in the off-season the school's new "red-card rule," where if Metress, Newberry or any of the Jaguars get ejected from a game they would be suspended for the next one.

"Sportsmanship should hold a very high place in our conference," Bryant said. "I think Dip Metress is a tremendous coach who does a tremendous job. He's an asset to the university. But at the same time, he has to be held accountable for his actions."

Metress declined to comment.

He will return to the bench at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when Augusta State plays host to North Georgia. With Monday's win, the Jaguars are now 8-8 overall and 4-5 in the Peach Belt.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.