DE PERE, Wis. — St. Norbert College women's basketball coach Connie Tilley will retire at the end of this season, the school announced Friday.
This season is Tilley's 42nd at the helm in De Pere. She has compiled a 684-307 career record and led the Green Knights to 18 conference titles, 14 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and one Final Four in 1985.
“These types of decisions are always difficult to make, especially when thinking about so many different people and moments during my career here,” Tilley said in a release. “I enjoy being around the women on this year’s team on a daily basis. The next coach will have a solid group of young women to work with and be able to immediately add a new chapter to our tradition.”
The Beloit, Wis., native was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015. She is also currently seventh all-time in Division III women's basketball coaching wins and Wisconsin’s all-time winningest collegiate women's basketball coach.
Tilley coached women's basketball for 42 years, softball for 13 years, women's volleyball for nine years and also coached men's and women's golf. Her career record in all those sports combined is 1,012-505, a .667 winning percentage, with 24 overall conference titles. In 61 sports seasons, Tilley has had only five records below .500.
“A pioneer in women’s intercollegiate athletics, Connie has been a consistent winner while coaching in five different decades,” St. Norbert athletics director Tim Bald said in a release. “Connie’s achievements speak for itself, and we will always be grateful for what she has built and accomplished.”
Bald said a national search for a new women’s basketball coach will begin after the 2018-2019 season.
