The rigors of producing winning basketball teams at the Air Force Academy caught up Monday with women’s coach Ardie McInelly, who departs after nine seasons and a 57-201 overall record.
Jim Trego, the academy’s associate athletic director, said the school and McInelly reached a decision by mutual agreement that the academy’s women’s basketball program would go in a different direction. Trego said that McInelly didn’t initiate the meeting.
“We’ll be conducting a national search and will be looking for the best basketball coach male or female we can find,” Trego said. “We want to move this program forward and believer it can be done.”
McInelly wanted the announcement withheld until she had time to tell her team. The players returned Monday from spring break.
The departing coach issued a prepared statement, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to coach at Air Force.
While McInelly’s last team went 3-27 and 0-16 in Mountain West Conference play, the Air Force men’s team under Jeff Reynolds wasn’t much better in conference play.
The men’s team was 10-21 overall, including a 59-40 victory over Wyoming in the conference tournament. The Falcons were 1-15 in conference play. Trego said the administration saw evidence of improvement of the men’s team.
Irv Moss: 303 954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
