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University of Idaho women’s basketball coach Mike Divilbiss resigned from his position after much deliberation Friday afternoon.
His resignation comes after Director of Athletics Rob Spear announced he would be conducting an assessment of the women’s program after the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, nearly two weeks ago.
Divilbiss released a statement regarding the decision.
“I hereby resign my position as head women’s basketball coach at the University of Idaho,” he said. “I would like to thank the university for the opportunity of the past seven years.”
In his seven years as the head of Idaho women’s basketball, he racked up an 82-119 record.
Divilbiss resigned after the women’s team produced a 4-25 overall record this season. The team finished eighth out of nine teams in the WAC with only three conference wins.
A settlement regarding the two years left on Divilbiss’s contract has been decided on, but there is no further information on what exactly that settlement is.
“Based on my evaluation of the program and discussions with Mike,” Spear said, “it is in everyone’s best interest to move in a new direction.”
Divilbiss’ coaching history at UI has been clouded by the loss of key contributing players from the team.
Most recently, the women’s program lost its leading scorer with sophomore Katie Madison’s exit after the WAC Tournament.
Madison was the Vandals leading scorer for the last two seasons.
In the 2005-06 season, four non-senior players left the team in April. The most notable of those players was point guard Leilani Mitchell, who led the team in scoring and assists.
Mitchell now plays for Utah, where she was awarded Player of the Year honors in the Mountain West Conference this year.
In the 2006-07 season, four members of the Vandal team left the program before their scholarships had expired. The most noteworthy to leave the team last season was Jessica Summers, who started 50 games as a Vandal, and left after the seventh game of the 2006-07 season.
Two-year assistant coach Alison Chase will step in as Idaho’s interim coach until a new coach is found.
“I would like to thank Mike for his service to the University of Idaho and to Vandal athletics,” Spear said. “I wish him the best.”
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