Kennesaw State men’s basketball coach Lewis Preston has taken a leave of absence for personal and medical reasons, according to a statement released Thursday by the school.
Athletic director Vaughn Williams declined to comment. A text to Preston hasn’t been returned.
Assistant Jimmy Lallathin will take over as interim coach.
The Owls (3-12) are struggling on the court. They were beaten by Jacksonville 86-66 on Wednesday. They have lost seven consecutive games, each by at least 17 points.
Preston, formerly an assistant at Penn State who is in his third season at KSU, took over a program that was struggling on the court and in the classroom to the point that it received academic-related penalties from the NCAA for the 2011-12 season.
The Owls went 3-28 in Preston’s first season and 3-27 last season.
Kennesaw State will play host to East Tennessee State on Saturday.
