Belmont women’s basketball head coach Tony Cross has resigned after 26 seasons of leading the Lady Bruins.

This year Belmont was 15-15.

Cross, a 1974 graduate of Belmont, returned to his alma mater to coach in 1985 after serving as a graduate assistant for Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee.  In 1994, Cross was inducted into the Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame for his contributions as a coach and an athlete.

He finished his Belmont coaching career with a record of 544-255, ranking him in the Top 20 of NCAA Division I coaches in number of wins.

UPDATE: An official announcement and statement from the athletics department was released at noon. 

“Tony has been a central figure on this campus for four decades, and our vast successes in women’s basketball over the years can be directly attributed to his capable leadership and dedication,” Belmont University Director of Athletics Mike Strickland said. “We appreciate everything he has meant to the Bruin program.”

A national search is on for Cross’ successor.