April 18, 2007

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Joanne P. McCallie will be officially introduced as Duke University's head women's basketball coach Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium, leaving Michigan State after having coached the Spartans to 149 wins in the past seven seasons. Duke has made it to the Final Four in four of the last eight seasons and recently completed a 32-2 season before being eliminated in the NCAA Regional Semifinals by NCAA finalist Rutgers.

"The last 48 hours have been very challenging for the entire McCallie family as we arrived at this decision," McCallie said. "We are so very grateful to the team, the program, (Michigan State president) Dr. (Lou Anna K.) Simon, (Michigan State athletics director) Ron Mason, and everyone who is part of Team MSU. We also want to express great thanks to the entire Lansing/East Lansing community for all their amazing support over the past seven years. The decision to leave MSU comes with a very heavy heart. Duke has been a dream job for me for many years. With great faith and incredible timing, we will move forward with this opportunity and unique journey."

McCallie, who recently completed her seventh season at MSU, molded the Spartans into one of the nation's top programs. She recently led Michigan State to its school-record fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and owns a 149-75 record (.665) in her tenure in East Lansing. Named the 2005 AP National Coach of the Year, McCallie has led the Spartans to four consecutive 20-win seasons, four second-round games in the NCAA Tournament, two Sweet 16 appearances and a berth in the 2005 National Championship game. She guided the Spartans to their greatest season in school history in 2004-05, as MSU won 33 games, shared the Big Ten regular-season championship and won the Big Ten Tournament title. Michigan State is one of 11 teams in the nation to reach the NCAA Tournament Second Round in each of the last four years, and in the past three seasons, the Spartans have compiled an impressive 103-32 record (.763). Her 15-year record as a head coach, including an eight-year stint at Maine, is 316-148, and includes 11 conference titles (regular season and tournament) and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.

"Team MSU and the Simon family wish the McCallie family happiness and satisfaction at Duke," Simon said. "Coach P has placed her mark on women's basketball at MSU. The program is on higher and firmer ground as a result of her leadership. We are committed to building on this strong foundation as we search for a new coach."

Playing one of the most difficult schedules in the country, McCallie led the Spartans to 24 wins this season, tying for the second-best total in school history. Along the way, McCallie's squad beat both two ranked conference teams on the road, at No. 13 Purdue and at No. 4 Ohio State. Michigan State beat all 10 conference teams during the league slate for the first time in program history. The team's 13-3 conference record was the second-best in program history and McCallie fostered the growth of Big Ten Freshman of the Year Allyssa DeHaan in the process.

Under Coach McCallie, MSU has seen its fan base increase dramatically. The team has set season attendance records in four of the last five seasons, including a school-record average of 6,787 fans in 2005-06, which ranked 10th in the nation. The Spartans were second in the Big Ten this season with an average of 6,646 a game and ninth in the NCAA. While hosting the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history on March 18 and 20, Michigan State attracted 21,340 fans for the six-game event, the most of any of the eight preliminary round sites. All of MSU's top 15 single-game crowds in program history have arrived during Coach P's tenure, including a school-record 14,066 against Ohio State on Feb. 20, 2005.

"I'm happy for Joanne McCallie because I know that Duke is her dream coaching job," Mason said. "We wish her well at Duke."

"We deeply appreciate the time, energy and effort that Joanne put into building a Big Ten contender and for placing MSU women's basketball on the national map," he continued. "She has built a solid foundation for the program. Joanne has had a positive impact in the community and helped build a very loyal and enthusiastic fan base.

"A national search for her successor is underway."