FLORENCE, S.C. - Francis Marion University athletic director Murray Hartzler announced on Monday (March 5) that Valecia Tedder has resigned from her position as head women’s basketball coach at the university.

Hartzler said a search for Tedder’s successor will begin immediately. He also announced that Patriot assistant coach Jessica Guarneri will function as interim head coach during the search process.

Tedder became the ninth head coach in the history of the Francis Marion program during the summer of 2002. In five seasons, she guided the Patriots to a 56-86 record, including a 6-22 mark this past year that included last week’s season-ending 56-46 loss to Augusta State University in the first round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. FMU finished the regular season 3-13 in PBC play and in sixth place in the North Division standings.

Her 2005-06 squad reached the championship game of the PBC Tournament after finishing the regular season 11-15.

“Valecia has been an integral part of the athletic department, both as a coach and as an administrator,” Hartzler said. “She has been a quality representative of the university, and we thank her for her dedication. We wish her much success in her future endeavors.”

Tedder was a Patriot assistant coach for two seasons in 1995-96 and 1996-97. During those two years, Francis Marion posted a 39-17 mark and earned the program’s first NCAA Division II national tournament invitation in 1997.  She was instrumental in recruiting several of the players that formed the core of the 1998 FMU squad that advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four and then made three subsequent Sweet 16 appearances.

Tedder, a native of Bybee, Tenn., earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she was a four-year letterwinner on the UAB women’s hoop team.

The FMU women’s basketball program has a 675-335 record in 34 seasons. The Patriots have captured two national championships, the 1982 AIAW Division II title and the 1986 NAIA title, and also advanced to the 1998 NCAA Division II Final Four. The program made five straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances between 1997 and 2001.