Amy Sander has been named the new head women’s basketball coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University, according to NWU Director of Athletics, Dr. Ira Zeff.

“Amy has a wealth of small college experience at institutions similar to Nebraska Wesleyan as both a player and a coach, which makes her a great fit for this position,” Zeff said.

For the past five seasons, Sander has served as head volleyball coach and assistant women’s basketball coach at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Prior to that, she was an assistant coach for both women’s basketball and volleyball at Albion College in Albion, Mich.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Sander said. “Becoming a head women’s basketball coach has been my main goal, and I’m impressed with the academic program and athletic department at Nebraska Wesleyan.”

Sander received her Masters of Education with a sport administration concentration in 1997 from Bowling Green State University. As an undergraduate, she was a four-year starter in women’s basketball at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1995 and was a three-time Ohio Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selection.

The native of Genoa, Ohio, was also inducted into her high school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

Sander has been the top women’s basketball assistant coach at Buena Vista since 2000-01, and during that span, BVU has posted an overall record of 91-45. The Beavers have won back-to-back Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles en route to consecutive NCAA Division III tournament appearances and had a combined mark of 52-6 the past two seasons, including 25-3 in 2004-05.

“Basketball is clearly her passion,” Zeff said. “Amy has been a big part of the women’s basketball turnaround at Buena Vista, she’s elevated the volleyball program and she already knows what it’s like to recruit against schools from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC).”

During her five seasons as the head volleyball coach, the program increased its winning percentage each year. Her first team posted a record of 3-18, while the 2004 squad amassed a record of 14-16.

“I look forward to the building process, the challenge of competing in the GPAC and to working with student-athletes,” Sander said. “I hope to bring some of the success we’ve had at Buena Vista to this team.”

Sander, who also teaches, plans to finish the semester at BVU, but will be in Lincoln to run the team’s summer camps. Starting Aug. 1, she will also serve as assistant to the athletic director at Nebraska Wesleyan. Sander replaces Brad White, who compiled an overall record of 74-100 in seven seasons at the helm. He resigned on Feb. 28 citing family obligations.