Duke’s women’s basketball program will have a new coach for the first time in 13 years.
Joanne P. McCallie resigned Thursday after a contractual dispute with the school. McCallie went 330-107 with Duke and led the Blue Devils to three ACC championships in the early 2010s.
In a message posted on the team’s Twitter account, McCallie said he was withdrawing because he couldn’t reach an agreement on a contract extension with Duke. He had a season left in his deal.
“As a coach in the last year of my contract, uncertainty is natural and takes away confidence and fun,” McCallie said on the team’s Twitter account. “I’m pretty sure there is a level of uncertainty among the Duke family. I want to bring clarity with great pride to everyone. ”
McCallie, 54, led Duke to the NCAA tournament 10 times and reached the Final Eight in four consecutive years from 2010-13. But most of his success with the Blue Devils came early in his tenure.
After the 2015-16 season, when Duke missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 22 years, there was an internal investigation into allegations of player abuse. McCallie remained the coach after the investigation for four more years, but his contract was not immediately extended.
“Here at Duke, Joanne’s extraordinary passion for excellence produced championship-level success and provided many captivating and timeless moments for both our student athletes and our fans,” said Kevin White, Duke Vice President and Athletic Director, according to the Duke statement. “Without a doubt, Joanne’s unwavering commitment to leadership and service has had a tremendous impact on the development of countless young women in the past three decades.”
Duke’s release also stated that he will start looking for a new head coach “immediately.”
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