Van Chancellor is set to coach LSU women

Former Olympic and WNBA coach Van Chancellor will be hired as LSU women's basketball coach, replacing Pokey Chatman, a top athletic department official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The appointment will be announced at an afternoon news conference on the Baton Rouge, La., campus, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the hiring was not yet announced.

Chatman resigned March 7 amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with a former LSU player when that player was a member of the women's basketball team.

Chancellor was the women's coach at Mississippi from 1978-97 before leading the WNBA
Houston Comets to four straight championships (1997-00). He also coached the U.S. team to a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and has a 38-0 record in international competition.

Kentucky women's hoops coach DeMoss resigns

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY -- Less than a week after hiring a men's basketball coach, Kentucky needs someone to run the women's program.

Mickie DeMoss, who held the position of women's coach for the last four years, resigned on Wednesday.

"This was a very difficult decision for me," DeMoss said. "After 30 years of coaching, I just want to step back and reassess what I want to do for the rest of my life. The University of Kentucky has been a wonderful place for me to be a head coach."

Last Friday, the Wildcats hired Billy Gillispie to replace Tubby Smith as men's basketball coach. Now athletics director Mitch Barnhart will conduct a search for DeMoss' replacement.

"I appreciate the effort and energy Mickie put into the growth of our women's basketball program over the last four years," Barnhart said. "Our program is in a very different place than it was before, and that is a credit to Mickie DeMoss and her staff."

DeMoss compiled a record of 71-56 in her four years at the school, including a 20-14 mark this past season.

DeMoss was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2005-06 after guiding the Wildcats to a 22-9 record and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in seven years.

Kentucky also went from averaging 1,694 fans per game prior to DeMoss' arrival to breaking the school record with 5,863 fans per game this past season.

Prior to joining Kentucky, DeMoss served as an assistant under Pat Summitt at Tennessee for 18 seasons.

"I would never rule out a return to coaching again," DeMoss said. "But for me, right now was the best time to step away and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life."