(WSCR) Missing out the NCAA Tournament this year was unquestionably disappointing for Northwestern.

The team came up just short of its first-ever tournament bid and nearly parted ways with head coach Bill Carmody. Northwestern has since decided to retain Carmody, and athletic director Jim Phillips said expectations have never been higher for the Wildcats.

“Expectations continue to climb,” Phillips told The Mully and Hanley Show. “That’s the kind of place this is. No one is satisfied. I’m certainly not satisfied with where we’re at, but I feel strongly that Bill has done more than enough to continue forward as our men’s basketball coach. Nobody feels more disappointed about the end of the year than Bill did. If you critically look at it, we were a basket or two away from being in the NCAA Tournament.”

LISTEN: Jim Phillips on The Mully and Hanley Show

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Phillips also said he has the utmost confidence in Carmody’s ability to lead the basketball program.

“Bill has been Coach of the Year. He’s been to the NCAA Tournament. He’s had success,” Phillips said. “If you ask his peers, everybody says it’s maddening to prepare for him. There’s no question about that. This is a man’s league. When you talk about Bo Ryan and Thad Matta and Tom Crean and the other coaches in this league, you better be ready and you better have some experience and be ready to coach against those guys. There’s no question. Bill hasn’t gotten dumb overnight. He’s still one of the very best coaches around and he’s a great tactician. We just have to improve in some other areas.”