Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) -Capitalizing on the growth in popularity of women’s basketball is something the new head coach for women’s basketball at the University of Illinois Springfield aims to do. Olivia Lett was named head coach Monday.

Lett says there were not a lot of female basketball figures for kids to look up to when she was young, but it’s a different story for kids now. “You hear little boys wanting to be like Caitlin Clark more than men’s basketball players. UIS has the ability to make players more reachable,” said Lett. She recounted the tradition of kids lining up along the court for the starting lineup at Millikin University in Decatur. Lett says it was cool to see how excited the kids were, and how special it was for the players. It’s a tradition Lett would like to continue at UIS.

Lett comes to UIS after six years as the women’s basketball head coach at Millikin. She took her team to the NCAA Division III tournament last season and had a 23-6 overall record. Under her leadership, Millikin also won two regular season CCIW titles and two CCIW tournament titles. Prior to coaching at Millikin, Lett was an assistant coach at the University of Chicago and Illinois Wesleyan University.

“Coach Lett did a fantastic job leading Millikin the past six years, and we are excited to witness her contributions to UIS.  Recruiting someone of her background, with deep connections to the Springfield area and Central Illinois community, represents a significant advancement for the UIS women’s basketball program,” said Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Interim Director of Athletics Jamarco Clark.

Lett played professionally in Spain and was named to the All Imports First Team and All-League Second Team. She played for the Titans at Illinois Wesleyan during college and helped lead her team to the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship. Lett was also a standout player at Pana High School.

Lett’s motto is “Greater than 94”.  She says it stands for greater than the 94 feet of a basketball court.

“Most teams talk about relentless, but we want to be more than that. We not only want to get back up, but we want to find a way to win and be successful. I believe this is the trait that makes our student athletes the most employable. They find a way to win,” said Lett.

Keeping athletes from the Central State Eight Conference is a priority for Lett. “We’ve successfully recruited kids from six of the schools that have been in the Central State Eight at different times, and I expect it to continue to grow.”

Lett started in her new position Monday. Her appointment is subject to approval by the U of I Board of Trustees.