Air Force officially announces hire of Williams as women's basketball coach

Air Force made it official Monday, announcing the hiring of South Florida assistant Andrea Williams as the academy’s new women’s basketball coach.

The Gazette reported last week that the academy planned to hire Williams.

Williams replaces Ardie McInelly, who was fired in late March after nine seasons. She inherits a program that went 57-201, including 12-124 in Mountain West Conference play, under McInelly. Air Force was 3-27 (0-16) last season and will enter the 2010-11 campaign having lost 37 straight games to MWC opponents. All but four of those 37 games were decided by double digits.

Williams spent two seasons at South Florida, helping lead the Bulls to a pair of WNIT appearances, including a WNIT championship during the 2008-09 campaign. Prior to that, she was an assistant at Jacksonville for four seasons. She also spent two seasons at Navy (2002-04) as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and was the head coach at Waynesburg State for two seasons (1997-99). She is the academy's lone black head coach.

“Andrea brings unbridled enthusiasm, experience in one of the nation’s top basketball conferences (the Big East) and a commitment to excellence that will give us the opportunity to bring this program to the next level,” athletic director Hans Mueh said in a release.

According to several sources, the academy initially was targeting Arizona State associate head coach Meg Sanders.