Longtime Washburn men’s basketball head coach Bob Chipman announced Tuesday, July 12 that he will be retiring after the 2016-2017 season.

Chipman came to Washburn in 1976 and was an assistant coach for three years and before becoming head coach at the start of the 1979-1980 season.

With Chipman at the helm, Washburn has seen 12 conference championships and a national championship.

The process of searching for a new coach is a long way off, according to Gene Cassell, Washburn sports information director. Whether or not Chipman will be on the search committee for a replacement will be decided by the athletic director, Cassell said.