Kansas State fires women's coach Patterson, vet of 9 NCAA visits
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kansas State has fired women's basketball coach Deb Patterson, announcing the move two days after an opening-round loss in the Big 12 tournament.
The Wildcats' season ended with an 87-84 overtime loss to Kansas on Friday in Oklahoma City. Kansas State was 11-19, going 5-13 in the conference.
Patterson was 350-226 in 18 seasons at the school. She led the team to nine NCAA tournaments and Big 12 titles in 2004 and 2008.
"I didn't think we'd be in this position," athletic director John Currie said Sunday. "As the year unfolded and you look at where we've been over the last five years, we just didn't feel right about the transition and I felt like it was time."
Assistant head coach Kamie Ethridge will oversee the day-to-day operations of the program as interim head coach until a new head coach is hired.
Currie met with Patterson at the team hotel following the loss to Kansas.
"Coach Patterson was extremely professional as you'd expect her to be," Currie said. "(Senior associate athletic director) Jill Shields was with me for that meeting, as well. She's a competitor and doesn't like to lose games, and this is not something she desired, obviously. . . .
"This was an incredibly difficult decision to make. I have great appreciation for Coach Patterson both as a person and a coach and want to offer our thanks for her service here."
