STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland resigned today, ending a 27-year tenure in which she won 606 games but battled allegations that she discriminated against lesbian players.

Portland resigned last night, the university said in a statement this morning.

"This was obviously a difficult decision," Portland said in the statement.

Phone messages left for Portland were not immediately returned.

"I am very appreciative of the opportunity to coach at Penn State, which has become a special place for me and my family," she said. "I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish with the Lady Lion program through the years."

Portland had built the team into a powerhouse, though the program had slipped to subpar records in recent seasons.

And the coach had a string of discrimination allegations lobbed against her during her tenure. Most recently, Portland settled a lawsuit in February by former player Jennifer Harris, who claimed that Portland had a "no-lesbian" policy on her team.

Terms of the settlement were not announced.

"I appreciate what Rene has done for the women's basketball program," athletic director Tim Curley said in the statement. "Rene and her staff have worked very hard to produce teams that were competitive nationally and within the Big Ten."

Portland, who was hired by Penn State in 1980, compiled a 606-236 record with the Lady Lions and earlier this season became just the ninth women's basketball coach to win 600 games at one school.

Penn State played in 21 NCAA tournaments under Portland and advanced to the 2000 Final Four. Portland won five Big Ten championships and two conference tournament titles during her tenure.

But the program had slipped of late. Penn State finished 15-16 this season and 13-16 the year before.

Portland has been outspoken about women's equality under Title IX, the federal law requiring equity in female and male sports, and was known for philanthropy work in the State College community.

She also generated headlines for off-the-court comments about homosexuality.

In 1986, she told the Chicago Sun-Times that she didn't allow lesbians to play on her team. In a 1991 story, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that several former players, recruits and colleagues of Portland said the coach did not tolerate homosexuality among her players.

More recently, former players and others affiliated with the team have told various news outlets of conversations with Portland in which they alleged she made comments indicating bias against lesbians.

Those comments surfaced after Harris, who said she is not gay, filed her lawsuit in 2005. In documents filed in federal court in Harrisburg last May, Harris claimed Portland had a policy of "no drinking, no drugs, no lesbians."

Harris initially sought more than $1.1 million in compensatory damages from Portland and the university, plus unspecified punitive damages and other conditions.

Portland maintained that Harris' departure was purely related to basketball issues.

An investigation by the university led to Portland's being reprimanded last April and threatened with dismissal for any future violation of the school's discrimination policy. She was also fined $10,000 and ordered to take professional development "devoted to diversity and inclusiveness."

Portland disagreed with the school's findings.

Portland played basketball at Immaculata College in a time before the NCAA recognized women's sports. She was on three Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championship teams in 1972, '73 and '74.

A year after graduating from Immaculata, Portland was named head coach at St. Joseph's, leading her first team to a 23-5 record and the AIAW national tournament. Portland spent two seasons at St. Joseph's and two at Colorado, racking up an 87-29 record and leading all four teams into postseason play.

In 1980, Portland was hired by Joe Paterno to succeed Pat Meiser as head coach at Penn State -- the only head coach the football coach hired during his tenure as Penn State's athletics director.