Illinois fires women’s basketball coach

With talk swirling about another disappointing men’s basketball season, University of Illinois athletics director Mike Thomas turned his attention to the women’s program instead Friday and fired head coach Jolette Law with two seasons remaining on her contract.

In five seasons at the helm, Law compiled a record of 69-93, with the team finishing a disappointing 11-19 this season after a 68-53 loss in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Law’s Big Ten record in her five seasons was 27-59, with a highest conference finish of eighth place in 2009.

“Jolette worked extremely hard the last five years, but I feel the program needs new leadership for us to compete for championships,” Thomas said in a statement released late Friday afternoon. “We’ll begin a national search immediately.”

Law, for a former Big Ten star at Iowa who also was an assistant under veteran coach C. Vivian Stringer at Rutgers, guided the Illini to a 20-15 record in her first season as head coach. Her first Illini team advanced to the championship game before losing to Purdue on a buzzer-beater.

Her 2009 team was 10-21, but the Illini bounced back with a 19-15 record in 2010. In 2011, the Illini fell back to 9-23 overall, finishing last in the Big Ten with a 2-14 mark.

Jolette Law’s head coaching record

Year: Overall (pct), Big Ten (finish), Postseason

2007-08: 20-15 (.571), 8-10 (9th), WNIT Third Round

2008-09: 10-21 (.323), 5-13 (9th)

2009-10: 19-15 (.559), 7-11 (t-8th), WNIT Quarterfinals

2010-11: 9-23 (.391), 2-14 (11th)

2011-12: 11-19 (.367), 5-11 (t-9th)

Five years: 69-93 (.426), 27-59 (.314)