College Basketball

Cynthia Cooper-Dyke resigns as USC women's basketball coach

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:56 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has resigned after four years coaching basketball at her alma mater Southern California.

She had a 70-56 record, including 14-16 this season. Cooper-Dyke left on Friday, a day after the Trojans lost to California 71-58 in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Seattle. They were 5-13 in league play, finishing tied for ninth.

Cooper-Dyke says in a statement that ''what is best right now is that I step aside.'' She gave no other explanation.

USC athletic director Lynn Swann also didn't elaborate, saying only that Cooper-Dyke ''is a great Trojan.''

Hired in 2014, Cooper-Dyke guided the Trojans to the Pac-12 Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth while going 22-13. Her team was 15-15 in 2015 and 19-13 last season.

As a player, she helped the Trojans win two NCAA championships. She went on to win an Olympic gold medal and four WNBA titles with the Houston Comets.

Cooper-Dyke previously coached the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and had college stints at Prairie View A&M, North Carolina-Wilmington and Texas Southern.