The University of San Francisco announced this morning that California has hired Dons Associate Head Coach Katy Steding.
Steding has served on the USF coaching staff since the arrival of Jennifer Azzi prior to the 2010-11 season. Azzi credits Steding as being a great teacher and helping to develop a USF team that pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2011-12 season in defeating the BYU Cougars in Provo this winter, the first win over a ranked opponent since 2003.
"I am grateful for the two years spent coaching with Katy," commented Azzi in a USF release about Steding's move across the bay. "We have worked well together to get our program to a much improved and competitive place. Our players have developed tremendously and I am thrilled about our recruits coming in this fall. Katy will always be a part of our program and I thank her for all she has done. She is an excellent teacher; Cal is lucky to have her on their staff. This is a great opportunity for Katy."
Steding came to USF with experience as a head coach in the NAIA and as an assistant in the WNBA with the Atlanta Dream and the NCAA with Columbia, acting as a more experienced complement to Azzi who had never coached before. Althougthe Dons only went 9-50 over the past two years, they did show considerable improvement this season in defeating both BYU and the St. Mary's Gaels.
Obviously, the Pac-12 is familiar territory for Steding - Steding teamed with current USF head coach Jennifer Azzi to lead Stanford to its first national championship in 1990.