RUSTON, La. -- Louisiana Tech women's head basketball coach Leon Barmore tearfully announced Friday he will retire once his team ends play in the NCAA Tournament.

Barmore, 55, made the announcement as he ended a news conference prior to the NCAA Midwest subregional, which Tech is hosting.

"I gave all I have. I have one more run at the national championship and that's it," said Barmore.

Barmore refused to answer any questions, saying he would discuss the matter fully once the Lady Techsters have won, or been eliminated from, the Tournament.

He said he was making the announcement Friday to allow Louisiana Tech ample opportunity to replace him.

"I love this school," Barmore said. "I don't want this story to be about me. But I didn't think it would be fair to wait."

Barmore told athletics director Jim Oakes about noon, Oakes said.

"I tried to talk him out of it, but he had made up his mind," Oakes said. "I would say that for women's basketball, this is akin to what the day John Wooden announced his retirement was for men's basketball. Leon is a pioneer and a giant in the women's game."

A national search for Barmore's replacement will begin next week, Oakes said.

Oakes acknowledged that assistant coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson would be a strong candidate to replace Barmore. A player for Tech (1980-84), Mulkey-Robertson has been an assistant on the Louisiana Tech staff for 15 years, the associate head coach for the past four years.

Barmore is finishing his 18th season as head coach of the Tech women's team and is the winningest Division 1 coach -- men's or women's -- with an .868 winning percentage.

He began as an assistant in 1977-78 under Sonja Hogg, who guided the team to national prominence as interest in women's college basketball grew. He was named associate head coach for the 1980-81 season, and was named co-head coach the next season.

He became the program's lone head coach when Hogg left in 1985.

His record as head coach is 517-76. He reached the 500th victory faster than any other active coach.

Louisiana Tech and Tennessee are the only two women's teams to play in all 18 NCAA women's tournaments. Under Barmore, the Techsters reached the Final Four nine times and won one championship.

"One of the things I'm most proud of is that every girl that's played here for the full four years has gone to a Final Four," Barmore said.

Players said Barmore had told the team of his decision just before the news conference.

"We were stunned," said Betty Lennox. "I feel bad for the freshmen. I can't imagine this program without him."

Barmore, who worked with Hogg to establish the program at the little school in northeastern Louisiana, has seen the popularity of women's basketball nationally grow. But before other programs were selling out gyms or dominating play, the Techsters were well established.

In a school with just 9,667 students, in a town of about 20,000, the Lady Techsters regularly draw better than 8,000 to games.

A Ruston native, Barmore coached at two area high schools before joining Tech.

This year he was the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year for the sixth time.

No. 3 Louisiana Tech (28-2) will begin NCAA play Saturday against Alcorn State (22-8).

"It's got to be a motivating factor," said Tech guard Tamicha Jackson. "Not that we needed one, but we certainly want to go out with a bang now."