Longtime College Basketball Coach Retires During NCAA Tournament

03/19/2025 08:38 AM

After spending nearly three decades as a head coach, Ed DeChellis has decided to retire from coaching college basketball. 

DeChellis became the head coach of East Tennessee State. It was a title he held through the 2002-03 season. He was then offered the head-coaching position at Penn State. The chance to coach his alma mater was too good to pass up, so he jumped at that opportunity. 

Outside of winning the NIT in 2009, DeChellis didn't have that much success at Penn State. He had a 114-138 record as the head coach of the Nittany Lions. Nonetheless, that didn't stop the Navy Midshipmen from pursuing him in 2011. 

From 2011-2025, DeChellis won 196 games as Navy's head coach. At the end of the day, he felt like now was the right time for him to walk away from coaching. 

"It has been a great honor to serve at the Naval Academy and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach so many exceptional young men," DeChellis said in a statement. "I would like to thank for giving me that opportunity 14 years ago and for his support and extraordinary leadership during my tenure. The Naval Academy represents a set of timeless values that form the bedrock of our nation. I am proud to have played a small role in advancing those values through sport. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of the players that placed their trust in me and to the talented coaches and other staff members that worked along side me to help each of our players reach their full potential on and off the court. This program has a bright future and Kim and I look forward to cheering for the Midshipmen in years to come!" 

DeChellis' best record in a single season at Navy was 15-3. Believe it or not, he coached more games for the Midshipmen than any other coach in school history. 

Navy has named Jon Perry its interim coach for the time being. The school's search for its next head coach has already started. 

We wish DeChellis all the best in retirement. 

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