DePaul Women's Coach Doug Bruno Steps Down After 39 Years

The Blue Demons' longtime boss ranks among the winningest coaches in history.

Doug Bruno gestures during DePaul's game against UConn in 2024. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

After nearly four decades, a Chicago basketball institution is saying goodbye.

DePaul women's basketball coach Doug Bruno is stepping down after 39 years at the helm of the Blue Demons, the university announced Friday morning.

"Athletic success is the result of three forces coming together and working together: a talented, hard-working and supportive administration, coaching staff, and most importantly, players, and I’ve been fortunate to experience all three at DePaul," Bruno, 74, said in a statement.

Bruno played three years for the Blue Demons and took the reins of the program's nascent women's basketball program in 1977. He led the team in two stints until 2024, when health issues forced him to take a leave of absence.

College Basketball Reference lists Bruno as the 12th-winningest coach in Division I history, crediting with him 772 victories; DePaul and his Wikipedia page credit him with 786. He steered the Blue Demons to 25 NCAA tournaments—peaking with a quartet of Sweet 16 appearances from 2006 to '16.

Additionally, he won gold medals as an assistant coach of the United States's women's national basketball team in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

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