WINCHESTER, Va. – Shenandoah University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Wayne Edwards announced Friday that Head Men's Basketball Coach Robert Harris has resigned.

Harris, the Hornets head coach for the past 11 seasons, departs with a 125-162 overall record.

Shenandoah's best season under Harris, a 1991 SU graduate, came in 2003-04. That team finished 16-10 overall and 10-4 in the Dixie (now USA South) on its way to an appearance in the conference title game.

The Hornets finished at .500 or better in four of his 11 seasons, including a second 16-10 campaign in 2007-08.

The past year, one year after finishing second in the USA South, SU was 4-21 overall and 2-10 in the league.

The Hornets were eliminated from the conference tournament Tuesday night in an 84-66 quarterfinal round loss to Christopher Newport.

"I would like to thank Dr. James Davis (former SU president) for giving me the opportunity to coach at SU," Harris said. "I have experienced highs and lows in the past 24 years at Shenandoah as player and a coach, and I have embraced all of it.

"As an alum, I look forward to watching this team transition into the ODAC in 2012 and see the program experience the sustained success that I have always wanted for the program."

Dr. Edwards indicated that he will conduct a national search for Harris' replacement.

"Coach Harris has been synonymous with Shenandoah basketball for more than two decades," Edwards said. "We greatly appreciate his many contributions to the department and to the university, and we wish him success in the future.

"We will be beginning our national search immediately in order to give our new coach a chance to recruit for the 2011-12 season."

Shenandoah plays its final season in the USA South in 2011-12 before joining ODAC in July 2012.