Just one week after leading Navy men’s basketball to the Patriot League Tournament championship game, Ed DeChellis announced his retirement from coaching.

DeChellis is stepping down after 14 seasons at the helm, the school announced Wednesday. He compiled a 196-230 record at Navy from 2011 through 2025.

“It has been a great honor to serve at the Naval Academy and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach so many exceptional young men,” DeChellis said in a statement.

“The Naval Academy represents a set of timeless values that form the bedrock of our nation. I am proud to have played a small role in advancing those values through sport. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of the players that placed their trust in me and to the talented coaches and other staff members that worked along side me to help each of our players reach their full potential on and off the court.”

DeChellis, 66, ranks third all-time at Navy in total wins behind Ben Carnevale (257-160, 1946 to 1966) and John Wilson (206-94, 1926 to 1946). He has coached more games (426) at Navy than any other men’s basketball coach in school history, surpassing Carnevale (417) earlier this year.

DeChellis coached in 29 Army-Navy Games, tied with Don DeVoe for the most in school history. Meanwhile, his nine conference tournament wins are second only to DeVoe.

“Just extending appreciation does not measure up to the immense gratitude our academy has for Coach Dechellis,” Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said. “He has been rock solid in every dimension of leadership as our head coach and as a distinguished representative of the values this institution represents. Hundreds of midshipmen have flourished as successful athletes on the court, while also being beneficiaries of his wisdom, experience, tutelage and counsel over the years.

“Navy basketball has sustained a well-respected stature on a national level and so many in his profession regard Ed DeChellis as the benchmark for class, integrity and the purity of amateurism. Ed’s personal relationships with his peers and contributions to the game clearly define him as one of the sport’s finest gentlemen and leading diplomats.”

Gladchuk said that Navy will immediately begin a national search for its next coach. Associate head coach Jon Perry has been named the interim coach.

DeChellis has an overall record of 415-461 in 29 seasons as a Division I coach. That includes a 105-93 mark in seven seasons at East Tennessee State (1996 to 2003) and a 114-136 ledger in eight seasons at Penn State (2003 to 2011).

During an interview with The Capital Gazette in his office on the second floor of Ricketts Hall on Wednesday afternoon, DeChellis acknowledged that he’s had a charmed career.

“I’ve been very, very blessed. I’ve been a head coach for 29 years at three different schools and never been fired,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to have some success at every stop along the way and been able to coach a lot of great kids. I’ve had some wonderful assistants that provided great support.”

Navy lost to American, 74-52, last Wednesday in the Patriot League Tournament final. It marked the second time that the Midshipmen reached the championship game during the DeChellis era.

A staple of Navy teams under DeChellis was to surpass expectations. The Midshipmen have improved upon their Patriot League preseason poll placement in nine of the past 11 seasons and matched their position in the other two seasons during that span.

DeChellis was named Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022. He was one of only 12 active coaches to earn Coach of the Year accolades at three or more Division I schools. He was Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in 2009.

DeChellis was one of just seven active coaches to win at least 100 games at three schools, joining Steve Alford, John Calipari, Rick Barnes, Kelvin Sampson, Herb Sendek and Buzz Williams.

DeChellis’ streak of being a head coach for 29 straight years was the fifth-longest in Division I, trailing only Rick Barnes (38 years), Dana Altman (36 years), Bill Self (32 years), Tom Izzo (30 years) and Steve Alford (30 years).

“I’ve a lucky guy because I’ve never really had to work. I get to wear sweatpants and sneakers to the office. I get to play basketball in a gymnasium,” DeChellis said. “I’m one of the few who has made a professional career out of doing what they love. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve really cherished all the moments along the way.”

DeChellis came up with the idea for the Veterans Classic, a season-opening tournament held at Alumni Hall in early November. He leveraged his contacts in the college basketball world to attract high-powered programs such as Michigan State and North Carolina to Annapolis.

Held to commemorate and recognize Veterans Day, the tournament has been played annually since 2014. Visiting teams tour the Naval Academy and participate in interactive displays to learn more about the institution’s mission and the midshipmen.

DeChellis suffered a stroke on Sept. 28, 2020, while walking from his office in Ricketts Hall to Halsey Field House. He spent three days in intensive care while doctors used drugs to lower his blood pressure.

He was sent home with instructions to take insulin shots four times per day. After two months of that, he transitioned to taking one insulin pill each morning and was back coaching in time for the start of the 2020-21 season.

DeChellis was named the 2006 National Coaches vs. Cancer Man of the Year for his efforts in raising funds for and awareness of the fight against cancer. A cancer survivor, he was among a group of coaches to lobby members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives at a 2009 American Cancer Society event.

A native of Monaca, Pennsylvania, DeChellis served as a student manager for the men’s basketball program while a student at Penn State. His first job in the business was as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1982, which turned into a full-time position. He returned to Penn State as an assistant from 1986 through 1996 before being hired as the coach at East Tennessee State.

As coach at Penn State, DeChellis led the program to the National Invitation Tournament championship in 2009 and the NCAA Tournament in 2011. He led East Tennessee State to Southern Conference North Division crowns and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2003.

Navy’s best seasons under DeChellis came in 2017-18 (20-12 overall, 11-7 Patriot League) and 2021-22 (21-11, 12-6). The Midshipmen went 12-1 in the Patriot League during the 2020-21 season that was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic.

DeChellis replaced Billy Lange, who resigned to return to Villanova as an assistant, at Navy.

Have a news tip? Contact Bill Wagner at bwagner@capgaznews.com, 443-534-0102 and x.com/@BWagner_CapGaz.