Jody Runge resigned from her post as coach of the Oregon women’s basketball team, effective Monday, nearly two months after eight players reportedly requested that she be fired.
Athletic Director Bill Moos made the announcement Monday afternoon at a press conference in the Casanova Center. Runge was not present and could not be reached for comment at her home.
“Jody asked that I make the announcement for her,” Moos said. “Parties representing Jody and the University met [Sunday] and reached a mutually agreeable decision.”
Moos said he did not ask for Runge’s resignation.
“I had some concerns that did not pertain to the win-loss record,” Moos said. “This has been a long, tedious and frustrating process that has finally come to a close.”
The turmoil within the program became public March 4 after eight players met with Moos and criticized Runge’s coaching methods and communication skills.
One week after the team ended its season March 27 with a loss to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament’s first round, Moos hired the Kansas City-based law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King, which is nationally recognized for investigating troubled collegiate programs. Moos said at the time that the move was to provide an “objective analysis” of the Ducks’ women’s basketball program.
Moos received the firm’s 30-page report Wednesday and said it revealed no major NCAA violations. There have been several requests to make the report public, but University officials have not decided whether the report will be released.
“Those eight players were not going to determine the fate of Jody Runge,” Moos said. “There were other legitimate concerns. That was only one component of my concerns that needed to be addressed. One begins to become concerned when you see a pattern, and in some regards that may have been the case here.”
Runge and her attorney, Rohn Roberts, reviewed the report last week and were scheduled to meet with Moos Friday, but the meeting never took place, Moos said.
“The events of the last six weeks have led me to the conclusion that it is in the best interest of the program to resign at this time,” Runge said in a released statement. “I regret that I will not be able to coach the fine group of women who will enter our program this fall. I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to the community, and I wish the team well next season.”

In her eight years at the University, Runge, 38, compiled a 160-73 record while leading the Ducks to eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances and two Pacific-10 Conference titles. Her .687 winning percentage was the best of any basketball coach — man or woman — in school history.
But Runge’s coaching style often conflicted with players’ personalities. In the wake of the investigation, several former players have stepped forward and accused Runge of emotional hardship, including a 1996 incident in which a player was kicked off the team and had to seek psychological counseling.
“It wasn’t really her as a coach; there were other things that also led to this,” guard Shaquala Williams, who will be a junior next season, said after the press conference.
Runge had two years remaining on a contract that paid her about $140,000 in base salary per year, but Moos said a buyout agreement was reached in exchange for Runge not filing a lawsuit against the University. Moos would not disclose the details of the settlement.
“I’m just glad it’s over with,” guard Jamie Craighead, who will be a senior next season, said. “I wish [Runge] the best of luck, but I think this is a really good situation for our program.”
University Vice President Dan Williams was also present for the announcement and said he and University President Dave Frohnmayer are satisfied with the outcome.
“I want everyone to understand that the president and I are very familiar with the circumstances surrounding this event,” Williams said. “And we wanted to make sure that everybody who has an interest in this issue understands that the president and I are very supportive of the resolution and the actions that Bill has taken.”
Moos said the search for Runge’s replacement has already started, and he said he told the current assistant coaches — Fred Litzenberger, Kirsten McKnight and Dan Muscatell — that they could apply for the position. One of the assistants will be named the interim coach until the vacancy is filled.
“I’m hoping that the players, my staff and the community will support the future of women’s basketball at the University of Oregon,” Moos said. “We don’t know now who’s going to be leading that program, but it’s going to be a qualified, talented head coach. This is a very appealing position.”