Eastern Illinois athletic director Tom Michael has announced that the contract of head women’s basketball coach Debbie Black will not be renewed.  Black served four seasons as the Panthers head coach after being hired in May of 2013.

“These types of decisions are never easy to make and I want to thank Coach Black and her staff for their service to the Eastern Illinois athletic department and Panther women’s basketball program,” said Michael.  “This program has competed for and won conference championships in the past but over the past two seasons that level has fallen off and the program has failed to make the OVC Tournament.  I feel that with a change in leadership EIU women’s basketball can once again return to the OVC Tournament and compete for regular season and tournament championships.”

Black, a former WNBA All-Star and Division I assistant coach, had a four-year record of 34-80 including a 9-19 record this past season.  She was 21-43 in Ohio Valley Conference play but the Panthers failed to make the league tournament each of the last two seasons.

“I want to thank the administration at Eastern Illinois for giving me my first head coaching opportunity,” said Black.  “As a competitive person that has been around basketball my entire life, I’m disappointed that we did not achieve the on-court success that I would have liked to have seen.”

A search for a new coach will begin immediately.

http://www.eiupanthers.com/news/2017/3/7/womens-basketball-contract-not-renewed.aspx

Tagged with: Debbie Black Eastern Illinois OVC