Lindsay Whalen Resigns As Head Coach Of Gophers Women's Basketball

MINNEAPOLIS — Lindsay Whalen announced Thursday she is resigning as head coach of the University of Minnesota women's basketball team.

The news came the day after the Gophers' final game of the season, a loss to Penn State in the opening round of the Big Ten conference tournament.

The Gophers went 11-19 this year. Over the course of Whalen's five seasons, the team compiled an overall record of 71-76 and a conference record of 32-58.

Whalen and athletics director Mark Coyle agreed she will stay at the university as a special assistant to the athletics director through April 2025.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Lindsay," said Coyle in a statement.

"I want to thank Lindsay for her hard work and dedication as a player and as the head coach of our women's basketball program. She is one of the greatest alums and ambassadors this University has ever produced and her legacy of being a Minnesota icon is etched in stone."

Whalen, who played for Minnesota from 2000-04, was a three-time All-American. She led the Gophers to their only Final Four in program history.

"I want to thank Mark and the University for giving me the opportunity to lead this program five years ago," said Whalen.

"It was an honor of a lifetime. I am grateful to my assistant coaches and staff and want to thank them for everything they did for our student-athletes during the last five years. We did things the right way and created a lot of memories, but now is the right time for me to step aside and return to being a proud alum. I look forward to supporting and cheering on the next head coach."

After her college career, Whalen went on to win four WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx. She also won two Olympic gold medals with the United States women's national basketball team.

The university said that a national search for its 13th head women's basketball coach will begin "immediately."