EMMITSBURG -- Mount St. Mary’s University placed men’s basketball coach Robert Burke on paid administrative leave Wednesday and named assistant Matt Henry the teams acting coach.

According to a news release from the school, Burke requested the leave following conversations with university officials on Tuesday.

“Decisions like these are never easy, and certainly more difficult while our season is in progress,” Mount St. Mary’s athletic director Lynne Robinson said in the release. “We wish Coach Burke well and we are hopeful he is able to resolve these matters quickly.”

Burke was named head coach in May of 2010 and has a record of 17-40 record overall. The Mountaineers are 6-19 this season and rank ninth in the Northeast Conference with a 4-10 mark.

Henry is in his second year as an assistant coach after spending the previous six seasons on the staff at Georgetown.

“Matt knows our players and the Mount, and he has our full support,” Robinson said.