University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Mark Coyle and Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lindsay Whalen announced today that Whalen will step down as head coach, effective immediately. Coyle and Whalen have agreed that she will remain with Gopher Athletics as special assistant to the athletics director through April 12, 2025.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Lindsay,” said Coyle. “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.”
“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.”
Whalen coached the Gophers from 2018-2023 and compiled an overall record of 71-76 and a Big Ten mark of 32-58 in five seasons. Whalen played for Minnesota from 2000-04. She was the program’s first three-time All-American in school history and led the Gophers to their only Final Four in program history.
A national search for the 13th head women’s basketball coach in the history of the Golden Gopher program will begin immediately.
(info courtesy of Gophers)
