Made Penn State a national power in women’s basketball
Rene Portland, who built Penn State University into a women’s basketball powerhouse during a 27-year tenure, died Sunday after a three-year fight with cancer.
She was 65. D’Anjolell Memorial Home of Broomall, Delaware County, confirmed her death.
Ms. Portland coached the Lady Lions’ first All-Americans, achieved their first No. 1 ranking and reached their first Final Four. Of her 693 wins, 606 came as coach of the Lady Lions.
“The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association membership, board and staff mourn the passing of past president Rene Portland,” WBCA executive director Danielle M. Donehew said in a statement. “Rene was a pioneer of our game in the modern era. As a player on the legendary ‘Mighty Macs’ teams of Immaculata College in the early 1970s, she helped establish a standard of excellence to which national championship teams since have aspired.
“As head coach at Penn State, she was recognized by her peers as a WBCA National Coach of the Year in 1991 and 2004. And as our association’s president during the 1989-90 academic year, she united the WBCA community of coaches to pressure the University of Oklahoma administration into reversing its decision to discontinue its women’s basketball program. Rene’s contributions to our sport as a player and as a coach will never be forgotten.”
Penn State reached the 2000 Final Four in Philadelphia, upsetting Iowa State and Louisiana Tech before falling to eventual-champion Connecticut in the national semifinals.
Late in her career, Ms. Portland also faced accusations she discriminated against players whom she perceived to be gay, with a former player suing Ms. Portland and the school in 2005. An internal school investigation led to a one-game suspension and $10,000 fine, though Ms. Portland disputed the findings. The suit wassett led confidentially.
She resigned as coach of Penn State in 2007.
Ms. Portland took over a successful program, and the Lady Lions finished 19-9 in 1981 in her first season. The next year, Penn State finished 24-6 and received an invitation to the first NCAA women’s basketball tournament. The Lady Lions emerged as a national power in 1985, reaching the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament behind Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Kahadeejah Herbert and freshman point guard Suzie McConnell, a Seton La Salle High School graduate who would go on to be an All-American and Olympic gold-medalist.
On Jan. 3, 1991, a Penn State team led by Susan Robinson beat top-ranked Virginia and Dawn Staley on the road, 73-71, and four days later the Lady Lions had their first No. 1 ranking.
The Lady Lions went into the NCAA tournament with a No. 1 ranking and a 29-1 record that year, but after getting a bye in the first round, Penn State was upset in the second round by James Madison.
Penn State again received a No. 1 ranking in 1994, but was denied a trip to the Final Four when it was beaten in the Midwest Regional final by Alabama.