Three days after the NIU women’s basketball season was ended, coach Carol Hammerle officially announced her retirement Tuesday.

Hammerle was in the final year of her contract after seven seasons in DeKalb and made the decision after a 76-61 loss to Toledo in the first round of the MAC tournament.

“After 32 years of coaching, I believe it is in the best interest of the NIU women’s basketball program and myself to retire,” Hammerle said in a press release.

NIU Athletics Director Jim Phillips said the decision, effective immediately, was a mutual one.

“I think in the end we both came to the same conclusion that it was time for a change in the program,” Phillips said. “I think it was important that she goes out the right way.”

The Huskies had suffered through a 7-21 season that included a nine-game losing streak, so Hammerle’s decision didn’t surprise her players.

“We kind of figured by the way the season was going that this would be her last year,” sophomore guard Stephanie Raymond said.

Sophomore Kristin Wiener also said she could see the end coming.

“She said that the losses were really starting to take a toll on herself as well as on the team, she said.”

Hammerle tallied 536 career victories in her 32 seasons of coaching at Wisconsin-Green Bay and NIU. She came into this season No. 23 in career wins among active NCAA head coaches.

At Wisconsin-Green Bay, Hammerle had a streak of 21 consecutive winning seasons and two NCAA tournament appearances.

In her tenure at NIU, she put up a record of 80-120, with her best season coming in 2001-02 with a record of 17-13.

“Carol did a great service to this program and to the entire women’s game,” Phillips said.