Homegrown Kentucky women’s basketball assistant taking ‘next step’ with rival school.

A major staple of the University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is moving on.

The Indiana University women’s basketball team announced Monday that former UK assistant and point guard Amber Smith was hired as the Hoosiers’ newest assistant coach.

“I am thrilled that Amber is joining us in Bloomington,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said in a statement. “Amber is passionate, high energy, excellent at building relationships and is the ultimate competitor that will fit in perfectly to our culture. We are excited that she has decided to become a part of our Hoosier family.”

Smith, who was promoted to assistant coach following the 2017-18 season after two seasons as UK’s director of player development, has spent the majority of her career in women’s college basketball in Lexington.

Originally from Winter Haven, Fla., Smith helped develop a few of the biggest names in program history on their way to the WNBA. In 2017, Evelyn Akhator became the highest WNBA Draft pick in program history when she was selected third overall. That same draft, Makayla Epps was selected 33rd overall. Smith also played an important role in the development of Rhyne Howard, a 12-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year and the first overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft.

During the time Smith was on staff with the Wildcats, the program earned its first SEC Tournament title since 1982 with historic victories over Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee and 2022 national champion South Carolina.

As a player, Smith made 109 starts in 123 career games from 2007-12 and earned a spot on the 2008 SEC All-Freshman Team. Smith averaged seven points and 3.4 assists per game over the course of her four active seasons with the Wildcats, as well as helped the team to NCAA Tournament Elite Eights in 2010 and 2012.

“Amber has given 12 years of her career to the University of Kentucky, five as a player and seven on our staff,” UK head coach Kyra Elzy said. “And I have cherished each and every moment. In that time, BBN and I have watched her grow from a scrappy, fan favorite that helped us coin ‘40 minutes of dread,’ into a contagious, insightful and inspiring coach. We are supportive of her as she has the opportunity to gain new and diverse experiences. I have total confidence that she will have a long, successful career.”

Smith graduated from UK in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in integrated strategic communications, and earned her Master’s in sports management from Morehead State in 2020.

“Thanks for the decade of love and support, BBN,” Smith said in a statement released by UK women’s basketball, “including the amazing fan base, my former teammates, coaches, players and staff. Lexington was a special place to call home! My journey there has equipped me to be able to take the next step in my career, as I continue my pursuit of growing the game of college women’s basketball!”

At Indiana, Smith will join a program that’s spent the last 74 consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Top 25. Following a second-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend and the team’s first regular season Big Ten title in 40 years, Moren was named the 2022-23 Big Ten Coach of the Year, as well as the Associated Press National Coach of the Year in addition to receiving the Kay Yow Award. The Hoosiers finished the season with an overall record of 28-4.

Following Smith’s departure, Elzy, UK assistant coach Jen Hoover and associate head coach Niya Butts lead a coaching staff that’s undergone a significant amount of change. The Wildcats also said goodbye to director of player development Daniel Boice and coaching video coordinator DeNesha Stallworth this offseason. Former director of recruiting Aisha Foy also left the program to take another job.

Elzy named former Oregon State assistant Jenny Huth as associate coach of player development in June and former Central Michigan director of operations Jerod McCullen as coaching video coordinator in May. The Wildcats also welcomed Liz Brown as the program’s first NIL director and former University of Pikeville assistant Jodi Ansert as recruiting assistant last month.