Ole Miss coach to retire; assistant promoted

4/26/2007 6:20 PM

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -Carol Ross was hired to restore the Mississippi women's basketball team to national prominence. Now that she has, she's ready to do something else.

Ole Miss announced Thursday that assistant coach Renee Ladner will replace Ross, who led the Rebels to postseason appearances in each of her four seasons and this year's NCAA national quarterfinals.

``It has taken it's toll,'' athletic director Pete Boone said of that reclamation. ``She said that she was a sprinter and she knew it was a marathon race. She gave everything she had for as long as she could.''

Boone took Ross' advice and hired Ladner, who played with Ross at Ole Miss in the late 1970s and early 1980s and coached on the staff of the two-time Southeastern Conference coach of the year at Florida and in Oxford.

Boone said terms and salary had yet to be negotiated.

After her playing career, Ladner married, had two children and coached in the high school ranks for more than a decade. The 48-year-old Gulfport native won a state championship at St. John High School before Ross asked her to join her staff in Gainesville.

She came back to Ole Miss with Ross in 2003.

Ladner thanked Ross several times for the opportunity during an afternoon news conference to announce her hiring.

``She has taken us on an incredible ride and an incredible journey,'' Ladner said.

Ross said she didn't intend to spend her whole life in a gym and was coaxed back into coaching to pay back Ole Miss. Last season was her most successful in Oxford. She guided the Rebels to a 24-11 record, a brief appearance in the Top 25 and pulled off several upsets in the tournament before losing to eventual national champion Tennessee.

She was 77-50 in four seasons at Ole Miss and had a career record of 324-171 in 16 seasons.

Ross said she has no doubt Ladner has what it takes to be a successful coach.

``The SEC is not for the timid or the meek,'' Ross said. ``Renee is a fierce competitor. She always has been. Playing pickup basketball you always wanted her on your team so she wouldn't beat you up. She has not changed much as a coach.''

Among the tough competitors Ladner will face in the SEC is new LSU coach Van Chancellor, who coached Ross, Ladner and Ole Miss associate head coach Peggie Gillon-Granderson in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Chancellor, Ole Miss' winningest coach, said the news took him by surprise Thursday morning.

``I'm really saddened for Ole Miss because I think Carol has done an outstanding job, and at same time I want her to do what makes her happy,'' Chancellor said.

After 439 career wins and 14 NCAA tournament appearances, Chancellor resigned in 1997 to coach the Houston Comets of the WNBA. He won four WNBA titles and a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team after leaving the Rebels.

Chancellor still has a presence in Oxford, but was hired by LSU earlier this month and didn't want to comment on whether he would have been interested in the job had he known it would be open.

``I don't believe you ought to get into what ifs,'' Chancellor said. ``I'm at LSU and they've got a new coach at Ole Miss.''

Boone said he feels the same way.

``There's a time and a place for everything, I guess, and sometimes timing issues just take care of themselves,'' he said. ``Van did what he needed to do when he needed to do it. I think that's great for him and I think we've got a great coach also.''