After a 36-year career at FIU, Cindy Russo announced on Thursday that she is stepping down as head coach of the women’s basketball team effective immediately.
"For the first time in my life, I am putting myself first," Russo said. "My health has been compromised for a long time now. It has been difficult to get up and move around. Basketball season is a long, stressful season that can suck you in with the demanding schedule. I just didn’t feel like I had the physical and mental capacity to keep going. My mother’s death exasperated everything, and it was a long ordeal with her. I was by her side for a long time, and now it’s time to take care of myself. I just can’t push myself like this anymore. The team will be fine. They play good basketball and they play hard, but we just can’t finish. Someone just needs to step up and be a leader. I trust that Inge Nissen will do a great job and handle everything that comes along."
"I want to emphasize Coach Russo’s legacy on the game of basketball," Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia said. "Not only was she a difference-maker to the FIU program, but she was one of the best coaches in the history of women’s collegiate basketball. Her leadership in the game of basketball will be sorely missed. She will be a member of the FIU family forever."
Russo was the driving force behind the women’s basketball team for 36 of the program’s 39 years. Over that time, she has guided FIU to 22-consecutive winning seasons (1981-2003) and at least 20 victories on 18 occasions. Russo has led her teams to six NCAA Division I Tournament berths, seven Postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournaments (WNIT), three NCAA Division II Tournaments and three AIAW Small College National Tournaments, in addition to winning eight regular season conference titles and seven tournament crowns. She has been recognized as conference coach of the year seven times in three different leagues and has coached seven All-Americans. Russo has the 15th-most wins in Division I women’s basketball history and owns a career record of 707-391 (.647) over 37 seasons, and a record of 667-371 (.643) in 35 seasons at FIU.
"FIU and I grew up together," Russo added. "I came to Miami when I was young and came to FIU when the program was brand new. It has been a part of me for most of my life."
Russo began her coaching career in 1977 at FIU before spending two seasons at Lamar (1978-79; 1979-80) where she went 40-22. A native of Portsmouth, Va., Russo returned to FIU for the 1980-81 season.
A national search for the Panthers’ next head basketball coach will begin immediately.
