North Dakota State hall of fame women’s basketball coach Amy Ruley will leave the Bison bench to become the associate athletic director for development.

Ruley, whose focus will be fundraising, coached the final game of her 29-year coaching career at North Dakota State on Monday. She led the Bison to a 93-64 win over Centenary to finish with a record of 671-198 (.772).

The Bison ended the 2007-08 season 17-11 and tied for second in the Summit League with a 12-6 mark. Since North Dakota State is in the final year of transitioning from Division II to Division I, the Bison are not eligible to compete in postseason play.

Ruley built the North Dakota State women’s program into a Division II national power. During her career, the Bison made nine NCAA Division II Final Four appearances and won national championships in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996.

The run of four consecutive titles, which included a then-NCAA Division II women’s basketball record 49-game win streak, was named one of the Top 25 Defining Moments in the first 100 years of the NCAA.

Though Ruley describes earning the four straight championships as “a blur,” she said the character and attitude of the athletes made those teams tough to beat.

“They worked hard. They loved the competition and the teamwork,” said Ruley, who was a point guard at Purdue during her student-athlete days. “We went into the contest as one — from the coaching staff to the players. There was a lot of mutual respect and trust, and in most cases we played to win rather than not to lose. Each time we won the national championship, we were like ‘Wow, how did that happen?’”

North Dakota State will begin a national search to replace Ruley.