DWHoops Photos by Orin Day

UVa Head Coach Debbie Ryan

After 34 seasons, 700+ wins, 11 ACC regular season titles, 3 ACC tournament titles and 3 Final Fours, Virginia coach Debbie Ryan has stepped down from her head coaching spot. Noting that her team did not perform up to her "own standards", she officially stated that she wanted "to do what is best for our program". The announcement came two days after Ryan was quoted as saying that she had no plans to retire, fueling a great dealing of swirling speculation around Charlottesville. In other words, this is a "peace with honor" situation for a bona fide coaching legend whose best years were more than a decade behind her. Sources indicate that UVa has already been in deep discussions with former Virginia star and current South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley about taking over for Ryan. While Ryan may not have wanted to step down, I'm guessing that getting her biggest star to take over the program would be an acceptable choice. If I was Staley, I'd jump at that offer. She's staring to demonstrate that she's not a great fit at South Carolina, with several key recruits jumping ship. If she can retain the three genuinely talented recruits the Hoos have coming in over the next couple of seasons, she'll have a nice foundation to work with.

Editor's Note: The AP reports that Ryan will coach Virginia in the WNIT if they receive a bid.