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COLUMBIA, Mo. — When Robin Pingeton took a job as Missouri’s women’s basketball coach in 2010, she thought she would wind up coaching in the Big Ten. That’s where the realignment winds were rumored to be blowing at the time, only for the Tigers to land in the Southeastern Conference two years later.

“I’m thinking: I’m a Midwest girl; this isn’t what I signed up for,” said Pingeton, who hails from Atkins, Iowa, after her team’s game Sunday.

That contest, which was her 467th for MU, was her last at home. Pingeton’s contract expires at the end of April, and she has agreed to step down at the end of Missouri’s SEC tournament run.

Mizzou lost to Vanderbilt 100-59 to close the regular season 14-17 overall and 3-13 in SEC play. MU turned the ball over 24 times in the game, which matched a season high.

“I hate that this was the effort and how it ended at Mizzou Arena for her because I think she deserves more,” guard Ashton Judd said.

“I’m super-thankful to have had these years,” guard Grace Slaughter, the potential centerpiece of future years, said. “This isn’t how we wanted it to go.”

The Tigers finished 15th in the conference, meaning they’ll face No. 10 seed Mississippi State at 5 p.m. Wednesday in Greenville, South Carolina, to begin the SEC tournament.

Pingeton, who is 250-217 at Missouri, made her first public comments Sunday about choosing to leave the post slightly earlier than was contractually required.

“I wanted to give our administration plenty of time to get their ducks in a row and get organized,” she said. “The portal hits fast, and just to be proactive and not drag this out.”

Yes, the transfer portal is coming. It’ll open for women’s basketball players March 25, which could serve as a functional goal-date for the new coach to be in place so that the person can maximize the opportunity to retool the roster.

How quickly athletics director Laird Veatch is prepared to move on the hiring is not yet clear. Pingeton’s departure after this season has been a rather foregone conclusion for nearly a year, but if Veatch is targeting a coach such as Grand Canyon’s Molly Miller or California’s Charmin Smith, he might have to wait until those teams’ NCAA Tournament runs expire.

Pingeton was optimistic about the potential of the program, offering multiple endorsements of Veatch’s vision for the athletics department.

“I want to see someone take them to the next level,” she said.

She declined to say specifically whether she hopes to continue coaching, but the timing of her exit makes that more possible, given that she’ll be available early in the coaching carousel. And she seemed thankful, not resentful, for how her exit has ultimately played out.

“It’s really not that deep,” Pingeton said. “Fifteen years is a long time. I feel a heart full of gratitude.”

In her three-minute speech to fans who stayed past the final buzzer, Pingeton thanked them for their attendance and support.

“No doubt, it’s time to pass the torch and empower a new women’s basketball coach for you guys, for these guys,” she said, gesturing to the players who stood with arms linked on the court. “I think it’s going to be great.”