Penn State University terminated women's basketball coach Carolyn Kieger on Thursday after seven seasons with the program, the athletic department announced.

Kieger's final season resulted in an 11-18 overall record and a 4-14 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Lady Lions' conference performance left them outside the 14-team field for the Big Ten tournament, marking a disappointing end to her tenure.

"We appreciate coach Kieger's commitment and passion she brought to Penn State Lady Lion basketball," athletic director Patrick Kraft said in a statement released by the university.

Kieger took over the Penn State program seven seasons ago and worked to rebuild a program that has struggled to compete consistently in the competitive Big Ten Conference. The decision to part ways comes as the university looks to find new leadership for the women's basketball program.

The university has not yet announced a timeline for the coaching search or identified potential candidates to replace Kieger. Penn State will now begin the process of finding a new head coach to lead the Lady Lions program moving forward.