ORONO — University of Maine women’s basketball coach Richard Barron will take an indefinite medical leave, effective Friday.

“I appreciate the concern people have showed me over the past month,” Barron said in a news release. “My condition was not improving and the medication had side effects that interfered with coaching effectively. I care deeply for our players and staff and I believe it is in the team’s best interest that I take a medical leave. I know our fans will give them their full support.”

Barron could not be reached for further comment.

Associate head coach Amy Vachon, a former Black Bears star now in her sixth season on staff at UMaine, will lead the team in Barron’s absence. Her stint will begin with UMaine’s game noon against UMBC at the Cross Insurance Center on Saturday.

Vachon said, “We wish him the best and we know what he is doing is best for him and the best for our program. The most important thing is his health. We are going to do our best to keep moving forward.”

The former Cony High of Augusta standout and head coach at Portland’s Catherine McAuley High School said even though she will be the head coach, “it will by no means be a one-man show” and she will be relying heavily on input from assistants Edniesha Curry and Samantha Baranowski.

“It’s going to be a collective effort,” said Vachon, daughter of Maine Sports Hall of Fame girls basketball coach Paul Vachon. “My dad always told me, ‘Whatever you do, you have to be yourself.’

“This isn’t about me. It’s about this team, our program and our whole staff. We have to do what we can to help the kids be successful,” said Vachon, who added that she has “learned a ton” from Barron over the years.

Barron’s illness first surfaced last month. According to media reports, he was experiencing dizziness and sometimes had difficulty standing or walking.

He coached his team to a 60-55 victory over Dartmouth College on Dec. 10 at the Cross Insurance Center but sent second-year assistant coach Edniesha Curry to address the media at the postgame press conference.

Barron missed some practices the following week but accompanied the team to Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, for a 77-52 win on Dec. 17. He coached the team in its next five games, two at the University of Miami Tournament in Florida, one in New Orleans against Tulane University and road contests at Boston College and Wednesday’s contest at the University of Vermont.

The Black Bears have lost four in a row, including the America East opener at Vermont (55-52). They are 7-9 overall.

UMBC is 5-9 overall, 0-1 in the conference.

Barron is in his sixth season as head coach of the Black Bears, compiling an 85-89 record at UMaine. He has guided Maine to back-to-back America East regular-season championships and two appearances in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

The Black Bears went 49-18 over the past two seasons, including a 29-3 record in America East regular-season play.

Barron signed a four-year contract extension last April that guaranteed him $150,000 per year with a $5,000 raise each year.

The Tennessee native came to UMaine from North Carolina State, where he had spent two seasons as an assistant coach. He had previously had a two-year stint as the associate head coach/recruiting coordinator at Baylor University and helped put together the top-ranked recruiting class of 2009 including All-American Brittney Griner.

Baylor went 54-13 in his two seasons there and made the NCAA tournament each year.

He had previously been the head women’s coach at Princeton University and the University of the South in Tennessee.

Now in his 12th season as a head coach, he has a career record of 237-228.