MANCHESTER, N.H. - Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball coach Karen Pinkos announced Monday that Kara Williamson has been named assistant coach effective immediately.  Williamson takes over for Mike Roux, who recently accepted a position as an assistant coach with the women's basketball program at Holy Cross.

Williamson comes to SNHU after serving as an assistant coach the past two seasons at American International College in Springfield, Mass., a member of the Northeast-10 along with SNHU.  While there, she helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a two-year record of 38-26, including a 21-13 mark this past season.  In 2008-09 AIC reached the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament while also reaching the Northeast-10 semifinals.

Williamson spent the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons as an assistant coach at Western New England College in Springfield. Over her two seasons on the WNEC staff, the Golden Bears posted a combined 37-22 record, including a 21-7 mark and a semifinal appearance in the ECAC Division III New England Championship in 2005-06. The 21 victories established a school record.

Before entering the coaching ranks, Williamson was a four-year member of the women's basketball team at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. A Dean's List student at Assumption, Williamson received the Most Improved Player award as a freshman and the Unsung Hero award as a senior for the Greyhounds. She earned her Bachelor's in Management from Assumption in 2005 and recently completed her Master's in Sport Management at Springfield College in 2007.

A Ludlow (Mass.) High School graduate, Williamson was the Most Valuable Player and a team captain as a senior at LHS. She was a First Team All-Western Mass. selection and was also selected to the All-Massachusetts Scholastic Team.