Co-Athletic Coordinator Jason Retzlaff said the decision coincided with the resignation of Spartan women’s basketball coach Janice Hendrickson, who has led the team for five seasons. The college intends to field a women’s basketball team after the upcoming season.

Prior to being named head coach, Hendrickson served as assistant coach for seven years and played basketball for the Spartans for two seasons in the early 2000s. She led the Spartan women to third-place finishes in the MCAC Southern Division in 2015-16 and 2016-17, and she was named the conference’s Southern Division coach of the year for 2015-16.

“We appreciate all of the contributions Janice has made throughout the years to our women’s basketball program. She did many a great things on and off the basketball floor for M State in her years as a coach and as a player, and we thank her for her dedication to Spartan basketball and wish her well,” said Gary Henrickson, interim academic dean on the Fergus Falls campus.

Henrickson said the program will be actively recruiting prospective student athletes in preparation for the 2020-21 season, adding that “M State has a decades-long tradition of enriching the student life experience through its varsity sports, and we view our athletic programs as a vital component of developing both leadership and team skills in our students.”

Questions about Spartan women’s basketball can be directed to Retzlaff at 218.736.1618.

As a member of the Minnesota State system, M State serves more than 8,000 students in credit courses each year in more than 80 career and liberal arts programs online and at its campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena. By partnering with communities, the college also provides workforce development services and other responsive training programs.