Rene Portland resigned as Penn State women's basketball coach Wednesday evening, offering no explanation for ending her 27-year career at the university.

"This was obviously a difficult decision," Portland said in a press release. "I am very appreciative of the opportunity to coach at Penn State, which has become a special place for me and my family. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish with the Lady Lion program through the years."

Portland, who did not return messages left on her home and cell phones seeking further comment, was not present at a press conference addressing her resignation yesterday. Instead, Athletic Director Tim Curley made a statement and answered questions alone.

Although Portland submitted her resignation to Curley Wednesday night, the official announcement wasn't made until yesterday morning.

"Since this was Rene's decision, I really can't address how much any one factor may have played in her decision," Curley said. "I did not try to convince her to change her mind. She had obviously given this, I think, a lot of thought. I didn't think it was in my position to try and change what she had worked through in her situation."

Penn State will begin its search for the next head coach today, Curley said. He would not name any potential suitors in the interest of keeping the search opened nationally.

Portland went 606-236 at Penn State, becoming one of nine women's basketball coaches to reach 600 wins at one university, but her Penn State career concluded in a disappointing and controversial fashion.

The past two seasons were the only losing seasons of her career. Away from the court, she dealt with lingering legal issues with former player Jen Harris, who accused Portland of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, race and gender. The two parties settled out of court Feb. 5.

Because the terms of the settlement are confidential, Curley could not comment on whether or not Portland's resignation was a stipulation of the lawsuit's agreement.

"As far as I know, this has nothing to do with the lawsuit," said Karen Doering, Harris' lawyer who works for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "If it had anything to do with the lawsuit, I am unaware of it. I have no way of knowing if it is involved with the lawsuit. Her status as an employee at Penn State is between her and the university."

Portland allegedly questioned Harris' sexual orientation and instructed her to "change her appearance so that she looked more 'feminine' and less distinctly African American," according to court documents.

Along with former players Amber Bland and Lisa Etienne, Harris was asked to leave the team after the Lady Lions lost an NCAA Tournament first-round game to Liberty on March 20, 2005. Harris, who has said she is not a lesbian, first reported claims against Portland on Oct. 11, 2005. After a six-month internal investigation, Penn State announced on April 18, 2006, that Portland was in violation of the university's anti-discrimination policy and fined her $10,000 in lieu of a one-game suspension and ordered her to attend diversity training.

Current Lady Lion players were not made available for comment yesterday, and calls placed to several players were not returned. The players did issue a team statement, though.

"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."

In 2004, Portland signed a contract to stay through 2009. In her career, she took Penn State to 21 NCAA Tournaments, including the team's only Final Four appearance in 2000, and won five Big Ten titles. She was named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times. She also created the Lady Lion ideal, which is rooted in community service and forging a solid relationship between fans and the program.

"I appreciate the many contributions of Rene Portland to women's basketball at Penn State," Penn State President Graham Spanier said in an e-mail message. "We wish Rene and her family the very best. We will begin immediately to find the best person in the country to lead our program in the future. We are looking forward to the continuing success of our women's basketball program."

The future of Portland's assistant coaches, Annie Troyan, Susan Robinson Fruchtl and Keila Whittington, is unclear, Curley said.

"As you can imagine, with this occurring last night and today, I have not had an opportunity to address all of the transition issues," Curley said. "Most importantly would be the assistant coaches. I plan to meet with them very soon and address their situations. And it's too early for me to comment right now exactly what will happen, but I do have plans to meet with them very soon."

Asked if he was surprised by the decision, Curley offered his thoughts.

"I know myself personally, at the end of seasons and years, you sit down and assess where you are and what your situations might be personally," Curley said. "From that standpoint, I don't think I was completely surprised by the decision."