By Joseph Dolan

Penn State athletic director Tim Curley addressed the resignation of former women's basketball coach Rene Portland at a news conference today, thanking her for her contributions to the university and to women's athletics in general.

Curley denied reports that university officials pressured Portland into the decision by telling her she would be fired had she not resigned, but admitted he was not surprised when she handed in her resignation.

"I did not try to convince her to change her mind," Curley said. "She had obviously given this a lot of thought and I didn't think it was in my position to try to change what she had looked through in her situation, and I have never been one to try to talk people out of something that they had given a lot of thought to."

Curley said that a nationwide search for the next head coach will begin tomorrow, but he did not outline any specific things that the university would look for in the next leader, nor did he discuss any specific candidates for the job. He said he would meet with Portland's assistant coaches as soon as possible to discuss their futures.

He added that he had not talked to any of Portland's incoming recruits, but hoped to get in touch with them within the next 24 hours. The Lady Lions' returning players were not available for comment, but released a joint statement.

"We will really miss Rene and feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such a wonderful coach," the statement said. "We will do our best to continue the tradition that she has built here at Penn State."

The Lady Lions have played in 21 NCAA Tournaments - including the 2000 Final Four - with Portland at the helm, and has also struggled with losing records in the last two seasons.

Portland has also come under fire for alleged discrimination against a former player on the basis of race, gender and sexual orientation. An internal investigation conducted by the university found that Portland had violated nondiscrimination policy. The lawsuit with former player Jen Harris was settled out of court last month.

"Since this was Rene's decision, I really can't address how much any one factor may have played in her decision," Curley said. "We have certain legal requirements relative to the Harris lawsuit and I would not be in a position to comment on the Harris lawsuit on what it meant to our program."

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