ESPN Men's Basketball

Interim Minnesota head coach Jim Molinari said a new coach firing an assistant coach isn't a story. Over the past three days, though, ESPN.com spoke to a few in coaching circles and at least one close friend of now former Gophers assistant coach Bill Walker who couldn't disagree more.

You judge for yourself.

Molinari fired Walker, Dan Monson's close friend and top assistant since Monson arrived in Minneapolis in 1999, on Dec. 8, just a week after Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi forced Monson out.

The perception is clear: Walker looks like he was insubordinate, and was singled out and tossed aside. Why else wouldn't Walker have been fired with Monson? Why was he sent home a few weeks before the holidays, making it a "story" that had a separate headline? And the worst part of this story is this: Walker's father-in-law has terminal pancreatic cancer, discovered less than a month ago.

Molinari and Minnesota sports information director Kyle Coughlin were quick to point out that Walker will be paid through June and will receive benefits.

"We were aware of that," Molinari said of Walker's father-in-law's illness. "And it is my understanding that he is getting paid with full benefits. Bill will land on his feet. This gives him the opportunity to allow [his wife] to go [be with her father] while he watches the kids."

Walker said, though, that he wanted to continue to work. He added that being with his family at this trying time was important, but losing his job wasn't going to make it easier for him. He didn't want to resign and simply didn't want to be fired. Apparently, no one even offered him the option of a leave of absence. Walker also said that the firing was done by phone and that he and Molinari haven't spoken face-to-face since then.

Molinari's explanation is pretty simple.

"If someone takes over a program then what they usually do, whether it's for three months or for however long I'm here, they get people who are philosophically on the same page," Molinari said. "I have nothing against Bill, but we're miles apart philosophically."

When Bob Knight was fired at Indiana, Mike Davis and John Treloar were named co-head coaches but Treloar made the decision to push Davis forward and take a step back. There were no staff changes when that occurred outside of Pat Knight naturally leaving with his father.

Coughlin said Maturi empowered Molinari. He said that Maturi, who according to Coughlin wouldn't talk to ESPN.com for this story, said Molinari "is in charge of the basketball program and he did what he thought was right. He supports his decision."

Molinari was brought in by Monson three years ago to be the staff's defensive specialist. He was going through a difficult personal stretch at the time and those close to Monson said that he was a "great boss" for Molinari. Molinari said he had other offers, like going to UNLV with Lon Kruger or to Florida with Billy Donovan. Molinari was working as an NBA scout at the time.

Still, Walker was the insider for Monson. He was the main recruiter for top Gophers like Rick Rickert and Vincent Grier. He naturally was hurt when Molinari was chosen to be the interim coach over him. Molinari was a head coach at Bradley and at Northern Illinois, though, so on the surface it made sense.

Once Molinari was chosen, Walker went on a recruiting trip to Texas. He missed the South Dakota State game. Walker said the trip was approved by Maturi. He said he didn't ask Molinari to approve the trip. He said Maturi told him to continue to recruit. He said he has missed at least three games for recruiting purposes during the season, which is not uncommon for assistant coaches.

"He had that trip scheduled before and he didn't talk to me about it," Molinari said. "He just did it."

Molinari said he was told by Maturi that he could be a candidate for the opening. Molinari said that he didn't move into Monson's office right away, but "later, I did. Yes."

On the school's Web site, the initial perception is that Molinari is the team's permanent head coach. His picture appears on a promotional ad for the "Jim Molinari Show." Once you click on the bio page, that's where you'll see the interim tag. Walker's name, like Monson's, now has been removed from the Web site.

Molinari said he wants to be a head coach again somewhere. He's 2-2 since he took over the Gophers, beating Arizona State and South Dakota State while losing at UAB and at home to Arkansas-Little Rock. The Gophers (4-7) were set to host undefeated Central Florida Tuesday night.

"I'm going to build on what Dan [was] going to do and bring them along in areas where he was challenging them to become better rebounders and take care of the ball," Molinari said.

Walker's friends in the coaching business community, though, are furious. They look at his dismissal as a cold move, especially at this time of the year, made worse by his father-in-law's illness.

Monson landed with a million-dollar plus buyout. Walker, who probably would have been out anyway in June, has his check and benefits, but also now carries a perception that he did something wrong to get fired after Monson was canned.

You can decide for yourself if this is just part of the business or a harsh fallout for an assistant who doesn't have much of a voice, let alone a golden parachute.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.