Longtime Northwestern coach Joe McKeown plans to retire after the 2025-26 season

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern coach Joe McKeown, who has won nearly 800 games over four decades spent mostly leading the Wildcats and George Washington, plans to retire after the 2025-26 season, the school announced on Monday.

McKeown has a 777-432 record with 17 NCAA Tournament appearances in 39 years at Northwestern, George Washington and New Mexico State.

McKeown credited ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon, a Northwestern alum and trustee, for convincing him to take the job in 2008.

“Seventeen years ago on a golf course in Washington, D.C., Wildcat legend Michael Wilbon said I should look at Northwestern,” he said in a statement. “I did, and we never looked back! I am excited to coach the Wildcats this upcoming 2025-26 season. It has been an honor to be in Evanston for the past 17 years. We brought Northwestern its first Big Ten championship in 30 years, went to multiple NCAA Tournaments, and put plenty of Wildcats in the WNBA and other pro leagues.”

McKeown is the winningest coach at Northwestern and tops among active Big Ten women's coaches with a 268-258 mark in 17 seasons. The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2021, when they advanced for the first time in 28 years.

Northwestern would have made it during the 2019-20 season had the tournament not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wildcats set a program record for wins at 26-4 and finished first in the Big Ten at 16-2. But they've won nine games each of the past three years, including a 9-18 mark this season.

McKeown helped former stars Nia Coffey (fifth overall in 2017) and Veronica Burton (seventh in 2022) develop into first-round picks in the WNBA draft.

He established himself as one of the nation's top coaches at George Washington from 1989 to 2008. His teams posted a 441-154 record and made the NCAA tourney in 15 of his 19 seasons, with four trips to the Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight appearance in 1997.

McKeown led New Mexico State to a 68-20 mark and two NCAA appearances in three seasons from 1986 to 1989.

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