DePaul AD Jean Lenti Ponsetto announced today that Oliver Purnell has resigned as head coach and finished his DePaul coaching career after five seasons in Lincoln Park.
DePaul went 12-20 this season, 6-12 in the Big East and lost to Creighton in the first round of the Big East Tournament this week.
Purnell went 54-105 in five seasons as head coach at DePaul. In 27 years as a college head coach, he holds a record of 448-384.
“It is my best interest and my family’s best interest to resign as head coach of the DePaul basketball program,” said Purnell. “We made progress here and improved with the talent and character of our student-athletes. DePaul provided complete support and is fully committed to its basketball program with its budget, the on-campus facilities and in the future with the new events center. I would like to personally thank the University community, fans and student body for their support and thank the student-athletes for their efforts over the last five years.”
“We would like to thank Oliver for his time at DePaul,” said Ponsetto. “He moved the program forward with the building of the roster and we wish him and his family well in the future. We are grateful to Coach Purnell for turning a corner in DePaul recruiting. We are clearly a stronger program because of his leadership. As we now turn to a search for a new coach, we do so gratefully for what he contributed these past five years.”
DePaul has started its national search for the 14th head coach in program history.
St. Benedict’s Prep guard Eli Cain had just committed to DePaul this past week, and his status remains uncertain for the moment. Cain had previously decommitted from Delaware because of coaching uncertainty at that school.
