(From the Hendrix College website)

CONWAY, Ark. - Hendrix College head women's basketball coach Chris Hitchcock has resigned for personal reasons. Hendrix assistant men's basketball coach Thad McCracken (pictured) has been named the new head women's basketball coach. Amber Gean will remain as the women's assistant coach.

"I am excited for the opportunity that [Athletic Director] Danny Powell, [President] J. Timothy Cloyd and [Vice President] Karla Carney-Hall have given me and very much look forward to working with the women on the court next year," said McCracken.

"Hendrix is a great place to work," McCracken stated. "My wife Jennifer and I have enjoyed our four years here. Having traveled with the women's team and through watching them play on a regular basis; I know going in that they are not only extremely talented players, but also wonderful students and individuals."

McCracken takes over at the helm with five years of assistant coaching experience. Before coming to Hendrix in 2005-06, he helped lead Transylvania University (Lexington, Ky./NCAA D-III) to a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Championship in 2004-05.

McCracken made an immediate impact upon his arrival to Hendrix. He has helped transform a 5-19 overall and 1-13 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) men's team in 2004-05 into a conference contender at 17-10 overall and 9-6 in the SCAC (2nd in SCAC Western Division) this past season.

"I feel like I am ready for the step from assistant to head coach because of what [head men's coach] Dan Priest has taught me over the past four years," McCracken commented. "He has been a great mentor to me and I have been very fortunate to have worked under someone with such great knowledge of the game."

McCracken won four HCAC Championships and made two NCAA D-III National Tournament Appearances during his playing career at Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.). He was honored as a NCAA D-III All-American and HCAC Player-of-the-Year his senior year and HCAC Tournament MVP his junior year. McCracken holds the record for most 3-pointers in a season (76/2003-04) and is tied for most career 3-pointers (216/2001-04) in Hanover's rich program history.

McCracken will remain as head coach of the men's golf team for the 2008-09 season. He has been at the helm of the men's golf team for the past four years and coached the women's golf team for three years (2005-08).

"I am confident that coach McCracken will do a tremendous job with our women's basketball program," Powell stated. "He has proven over the past four years that he can be an effective recruiter of both female and male student-athletes, and he understands the tenets of success that we espouse in our athletics program. I am eager to see him continue the fine work he has done as an assistant men's basketball coach and golf coach as he assumes the helm of the women's basketball program."

Hitchcock accumulated a 77-53 overall record and 35-37 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference mark over his five year tenure with the Warriors. He guided Hendrix to five SCAC Tournament appearances and coached three All-SCAC players and one Newcomer-of-the-Year (sophomore forward Christina Byler).