Edmonds Community College has hired Katy Wilson as its new women’s basketball head coach.

Wilson comes to Edmonds Community College with a background as a standout collegiate athlete and with years of coaching experience at the high school and college levels.

“We are thrilled to have Katy aboard as our women’s basketball coach,” athletic director Jorge de la Torre said on Thursday. “She will be a terrific leader for our student-athletes.”

Wilson’s most recently worked as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Clackamas Community College under three-time NWAACC champion Clif Wegner. The Cougars posted a 17-14 mark during the 2012-13 season and reached the semifinals of the NWAACC Championship Tournament.

“Although it is difficult to leave Oregon, I have the experience, the education and the desire to build my own successful program,” Wilson said. “I am very thankful to Clif Wagner for giving me the opportunity to be a part of his coaching staff. I am excited to start a new chapter in my life and achieving one of my life’s goals, but it was hard for me to leave such a good community.”

Wilson has nine years of coaching experience. Notably, she worked as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Portland Community College and as the head coach at Lakeridge High School, where she helped turn around a losing program. Wilson also coached basketball, volleyball and track at Jesuit High School when the program was ranked No. 1.

As a player, Wilson was a four year varsity, first team all-league, and all-state honoree in volleyball, basketball, and track, and was a Division I recruit in all three sports. She competed at elite levels in three sports over a five year span in college, including basketball and track at Central Arizona College. Her basketball coach there was Hall of Famer Lin Laursen. Wilson later transferred to Hawaii Pacific University where she played on a nationally ranked volleyball team.

Wilson was born in Kodiak, Alaska, but grew up in Waldport, Oregon. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management at Hawaii Pacific, a Master’s Degree in Health Education at Western Oregon and a Master’s in Teaching at Pacific University.

A fitness enthusiast, Wilson brings a wealth of valuable knowledge in coaching basketball and conditioning, having worked extensively training elite high school, college, and NBA & WNBA players. She currently works at Portland Community College as a professor in health and PE.

Wilson will immediately take over the recruiting and administration of the Edmonds Community College women’s basketball team and is in the process of putting together her staff, but will not be in the Lynnwood area full-time until this summer.

“I am looking forward to being a leader to young women at Edmonds, to develop student athletes and to be a mentor for the community,” said Wilson. “I will create a successful winning program by preparing my student-athletes in academics and basketball fundamentals. My players will work hard, have a good basketball IQ and be successful at the next level.”