Tim Joyce built Bishop Canevin High School girls basketball into a strong program and won three WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship in the past five years. But the school informed him Monday that he has been fired.

Joyce, Bishop Canevin’s coach for 15 seasons, learned of his release after a short meeting with Bishop Canevin principal Ken Sinagra. According to Joyce, parental complaints were the main reason for his firing. The move is shocking when you consider Joyce’s success.

“I don’t know what to say. I was kind of caught by surprise,” said Joyce. “I knew there were some unhappy parents, but I didn’t expect this. [Sinagra] just said there were parents complaining. Over 15 years, I guess you get a few of those.”

Joyce, 59, was miffed by the idea that parental complaints led to his ouster. When asked the nature of the complaints, Joyce said, “It’s ‘you’re too hard on them,’ or ‘you’ve taken the fun out of the game.’ The usual things. We didn’t really have a long conversation. I was shocked. I’m upset about it. I’ve thought about things and I can’t say I would’ve done anything different. But you do what you have to do. I’ll try to find another coaching job. If this is the way the school feels, I guess it’s time to move on.”

Bishop Canevin athletic director Shawn Holup said, “I can’t really say anything because it’s a personnel matter, other than to say we just decided to open up the position.”

Joyce said Holup had no idea the firing was coming.

Joyce won his second consecutive WPIAL title this season and lost in the PIAA final. He averaged almost 20 wins a season and his 15-year record was 293-123.

“I’m still at a loss, trying to figure this out,” said Joyce.

Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh

First Published: April 25, 2017, 2:16 a.m.