Minnesota Legend Lindsay Whalen Steps Down as Head Coach After 5 Seasons

By | Bullscore 3 Mar, 2023

Legendary Basketball Hall-of-Famer Lindsay Whalen steps down as Head Coach of Minnesota Women’s Basketball, the college revealed the news on Thursday.

Whalen played her final WNBA season in 2018 for Lynx. She took retirement after that and served as a head coach for the college basketball program. Whalen’s coaching career for Minnesota lasted five seasons. In her tenure, she was 71-76 overall and 32-58 in Big Ten. However, the Gophers didn’t win any Big Ten titles or ever reached the NCAA tournament under Whalen, though, they did make it to the WNIT one time in 2018-19.

Whalen didn’t attend the scheduled media conference on Thursday with the athletics director Mark Coyle. However, She tweeted after some time saying that she was feeling too emotional to face the media.

Close circuit to all local media: I will be “appearing “and “showing up” for a press conference in the near future. My sincere apologies for not being there today as I was overcome with emotion in the elevator on my way to the press conference. I am a human being.
— Lindsay Whalen (@Lindsay_13) March 3, 2023

“Close circuit to all local media: I will be “appearing “and “showing up” for a press conference in the near future,” Whalen posted on Twitter. “My sincere apologies for not being there today as I was overcome with emotion in the elevator on my way to the press conference. I am a human being. Also I’ve shown up every single day while playing at the U, playing for the Lynx, and coaching at the U. Add up the years. Apologies if this hasn’t been enough. I’ll be available when the time is right.”

Under Whalen, Minnesota Gophers ended this season with a record of 11-19 (4-14 Big Ten). Minnesota lost their last match against Penn State by 67-72 on Wednesday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis.

The reason for her departure from the position is definitely her failure with the team in the season since she signed a contract extension with the program which allow her to stay with the franchise till the 2024-25 season. However, the program said that she will assist the athletics director Mark Coyle till April 12, 2025.

“I want to thank Mark and the University for giving me the opportunity to lead this program five years ago,” Whalen said in a statement. “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.”

The Athletic director Mark Coyle said in the media briefing on Thursday that the decision of Whalen’s firing was mutual, however, she didn’t give any sign of stepping down on Wednesday in her aftergame press conference.

“Together, we just felt like now is the right time for her to step down,” Coyle told reporters. “She’s still going to be part of our program. She is so much loved in these hallways and these buildings. Obviously, she’s an icon. She’s on Mount Rushmore in the state of Minnesota.”

Lindsay Whalen, 40, played for the Gophers from 2000 to 2004. As a senior, she led the team to its first Final Four appearance and finished her college career as the only player in Minnesota history to be named to three All-American teams. Last year, she received her induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.