Friday,May 20,2005 Ã‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ ÃƒÃ‚‚ 

MARQUETTE , Mich.  â€Â” Mike Geary, coach of the Northern Michigan University womenâ€Â™s basketball team for the past 17 years, has resigned, according toNMU Athletic Director Ken Godfrey.

Godfrey said Geary is leaving the position for personal reasons,effective May 31.

 Ã¢Ã‚€Ã‚ÂœIâ€Â™m very proud of what has been accomplished with the Northern Michigan University womenâ€Â™s basketball program during my tenure,â€Â said Geary.  â€ÂœI wantto thank the players, parents, and fans who have helped us to develop theprogram at NMU.â€Â

Geary took over the Wildcat program in 1988.  At Northern, he compiled a370-123 record at NMU.  He has an overall collegiate coaching mark of 417-133. 

Under Gearyâ€Â™s leadership, Northern has made two NCAA Womenâ€Â™s TournamentElite Eight appearances (1995 and â€Â˜98) and advanced to the NCAA Womenâ€Â™s FinalFour  in 1998 where the â€Â˜Cats lost to eventual champion North Dakota in the semifinals. His teams also won two Great Lakes Regional titles (â€Â™95, â€Â™98) and two GLIACNorth Division crowns (â€Â™95, â€Â™98).

Geary was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1997, and he washonored in the latter season as the Basketball Coaches Association ofMichiganâ€Â™s (BCAM) Womenâ€Â™s Coach of the Year recipient.  His NMU teams posted20-plus wins for all but four years of Gearyâ€Â™s tenure.

Five Wildcats earned All-America status and five were named AcademicAll-Americans during Gearyâ€Â™s tenure.  Six â€Â˜Cats were chosen to receive theGLIAC Most Valuable Player Award.

This past year, Northern went 16-12 and advanced to the semifinal roundof the GLIAC Tournament.

Prior to NMU, Geary coached for two years (47-10) at Lake Superior State University.

 Ã¢Ã‚€Ã‚ÂœMike took over a young womenâ€Â™s basketball program in the 1980s anddeveloped it into one that has been successful over the years,â€Â said Godfrey. Ã¢Ã‚€Ã‚ÂœWe wish Mike well in his future endeavors.â€Â

Godfrey indicated that a national search will begin immediately toreplace Geary.