Pepperdine women’s basketball head coach Julie Rousseau has resigned after nine seasons in charge of the Waves’ program, the University announced today.
"It’s been an honor and a blessing to be part of the Pepperdine family and to represent this university," Rousseau said. "I leave here with precious memories, knowing that we made a difference in the lives of so many young women that God entrusted in our care. This is not an end but a beginning to the next chapter of my career and my life, and I embrace whatever God has in store for me. I want to thank Dr. (Steve) Potts for all the support that he’s given me, Dr. (John) Watson who hired me, and everyone from President (Andrew) Benton on down, my coaching colleagues, athletic department staff, the student-athletes. I greatly appreciate the camaraderie we built and that I enjoyed here every day.
"Among my proudest accomplishments is the highly competitive schedule we maintained for multiple years, defeating some of the top programs in the nation. But most importantly, I will cherish the opportunities that we had to assist in our student-athletes’ success not just on the court, but in academics and other areas unmeasured by box scores."
Rousseau had an overall record of 123-144 (.461) at Pepperdine and her teams made three postseason appearances.
"I am grateful to Julie for her hard work and dedication to Pepperdine women’s basketball for the past nine seasons," said Pepperdine Director of Athletics Steve Potts. "She is a woman of great character and integrity and always acted with the best interests of our student-athletes in mind. I want to thank Julie for her significant contributions to the entire Pepperdine community through her high standards, values and commitment to our Christian mission. All of us wish her great success in her future activities."
A high point came during Rousseau’s second season, when Pepperdine won the 2006 West Coast Conference Championships as the #4 seed and claimed the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. Rousseau’s squads had winning records for three straight seasons between 2009-11. Her 2009-10 squad won 20 games, the most during her tenure, and the Waves made the first of two straight WNIT appearances that year.
A search for a new head coach will begin immediately, Potts said.
