Lawrence is set to conduct a national search for a women’s basketball head coach, athletic director Mike Szkodzinski announced today.

The Vikings have been directed during the 2010-11 season by interim head coach Dennis Nagan, who had served as an assistant with the Vikings for one season prior to this campaign.

Michelle Walsh guided the Vikings to a 4-19 mark in her lone season as coach in 2007-08. She was followed by Marc Heidorf, who compiled a 3-43 mark in two seasons. Lawrence is 0-22 this season heading into its final game, at 20-2 St. Norbert.

“It is our goal to keep the women’s basketball program moving forward, and we believe that is best achieved by exploring all of our options when it comes to the person leading the program,” Szkodzinski said. “This next step is a natural progression in the efforts to sustain enduring success for Lawrence women’s basketball.”

The search will commence immediately with the goal of having a head coach in place as soon as possible, Szkodzinski said. Szkodzinski added Nagan will remain as the interim coach until a full-time head coach is selected.

“Coach Nagan has been nothing but professional in his responsibilities, and we’re thankful for the work he has done to this point,” Szkodzinski said.

“Lawrence University has the strong belief that intercollegiate athletics in an integral part of the education process,” provost David Burrows said. “I believe the learning process is the most important part of any varsity athletic activity, but part of that experience is a sense of being competitive.”

Women’s basketball at Lawrence has enjoyed a history of success since its inception in 1975. Women’s basketball has won three conference championships, two in the Midwest Conference and another in the Lake Michigan Conference, and earned a NCAA Division III Tournament berth in 1999. The Vikings compiled 23 seasons with a record of .500 or better in their first 31 seasons of competition.

Lawrence has struggled to return to its winning ways in recent seasons. Since the retirement of head coach Amy Proctor following the 2006-07 season, Lawrence has endured four campaigns without a winning record.