Chancellor takes over at LSU

Chancellor takes over for former coach Pokey Chatman, who resigned late in the season amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with a former player. Assistant coach Bob Starkey led the Tigers to the Final Four as acting head coach.

Chancellor was recently named an inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, entering with the 2007 class that also includes NBA head coach Phil Jackson and North Carolina men’s head coach Roy Williams.

"It’s a rare occasion that an athletic director has the opportunity to hire a person with the credentials that Van Chancellor brings to our women’s basketball program," LSU director of athletics Skip Bertman said. "Van has experienced tremendous success at all levels of women’s basketball."

Chancellor made a name for himself as head coach at Ole Miss from 1978-97, leading the women’s team to a 439-154 record over that span, including 14 NCAA Tournament appearances.

He then went on to the WNBA and led the Houston Comets to four straight league titles from 1997-2000. The Comets went 211-11 under Chancellor, who coached the team from 1997-2006.

The Louisville, Mississippi native also coached the United States women’s basketball team to a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and has posted a 38-0 record in international competition.

Chatman compiled a 90-14 record during her time as LSU’s head coach, and the Lady Tigers twice reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament with her at the helm. Also a player at LSU, Chatman was with the university for almost 18 years.