Illinois State fires women's basketball coach

By AP
Published

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) Illinois State has fired women's basketball coach Barb Smith.

Athletic director Larry Lyons announced his decision Saturday after the Redbirds lost to Drake in the Missouri Valley Tournament to conclude an 8-23 season.

When she arrived four years ago, Smith inherited a team that had strung together seven straight winning seasons. But during her tenure, the team went 28-93 - the worst four-year stretch in the program's history.

Lyons says the contracts of Smith's assistant coaches will not be renewed when they expire next month. He says a search for a new coach will begin immediately.