Rene Portland
From Hoopedia
Maureen "Rene" Muth Portland is a former head women's basketball coach best known for her 27-year tenure with the Penn State Lady Lions basketball team. Her career resume includes 21 NCAA tournament appearances including a Final Four appearance in 2000, five Big Ten Conference championships and two conference tournament titles. Portland is one of nine women's basketball coaches to have won 600 or more games at a single school, with a career record of 606-236 at Penn State.
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Career
Portland had been head coach at Penn State since 1980, following brief positions at St. Joseph's and Colorado. Portland was previously one of the star players at Immaculata College, one of the early powers in women's college basketball.
Portland just finished coaching her 27th season at Penn State University. She won 600 games at Penn State, making her sixth in most wins in Division 1 women’s basketball. Although she has coached many Penn State teams to the NCAA tournament, she has been unable to win a National Championship. Portland has a demonstrated commitment to charitable causes, most notably participating in the first annual “Think Pink” day to raise funds for breast cancer research. On March 22, 2007, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics announced Portland's resignation, effective immediately. On April 23, 2007, the University announced Coquese Washington as her successor.
Controversy
Her Stance Against Homosexuality
In as early as 1986, Portland forbade lesbian athletes in her program:
One of the first things Penn State coach Rene Portland brings up during a recruiting visit with a prospective player and her parents is lesbian activity.
"I will not have it in my program," Portland said. "I bring it up and the kids are so relieved and the parents are so relieved. But they would probably go without asking the question otherwise, which is really dumb."
– The Chicago Sun-Times
The statement was made prior to adoption of Penn State's policy on Nondiscrimination and Harassment in 1991; Portland has rescinded her prohibition.
In 2006, former player Jennifer Harris accused Portland of removing her from the team because of her perceived sexual orientation. Harris filed a federal lawsuit against Portland, Penn State athletic director Timothy Curley, and the University. An internal University review found that Portland created a "hostile, intimidating, and offensive environment" based on Harris's perceived sexual orientation. Portland was fined $10,000, required to attend diversity training sessions, and placed on "zero tolerance" for future violations of the nondiscrimination policy. In responding to the sanctions, Portland stated that "the process that was used to reach these conclusions was flawed." Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, has stated that "consequences faced by Rene Portland are insulting and inadequate."
The lawsuit was settled, before Portland's resignation, under confidential terms and described by a joint statement as "amicable."
Awards and Honors
- 2004 WBCA Russell Athletic National Coach of the Year
- 2004 Big Ten Coach of the Year (Coaches and Media)
- 2003 Big Ten Coach of the Year (Coaches and Media)
- 2003 Naismith National Coach of the Year Finalist
- 2001 Inductee of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
- 2002 Inductee of the Mount Nittany Society
- 2000 Women’s Basketball Journal National Coach of the Year
- 2000 IKON/WBCA District 6 Coach of the Year
- 2000 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year
- 2000 Naismith National Coach of the Year Finalist
- 1997 USA Basketball’s Developmental Coach of the Year
- 1995 Naismith National Coach of the Year Finalist
- 1994 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year
- 1993 Newspaper Enterprise Association National Coach of the Year
- 1992 Converse/U.S. Basketball Writers Association National Coach of the Year
- 1991 WBCA National Coach of the Year
- 1989-90 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association President
- 1983 Atlantic Ten Conference Coach of the Year
