Amy Sander enters her 18th year on the staff of the women’s basketball team at Minnesota State University and 10th season as the team's associate head coach in 2025-26.
Before joining the Mavericks, Sander served as the head coach for the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairiewolves. Nebraska Wesleyan is a member of the NAIA and NCAA Division III. While she was the head coach for NWU, Sander led the Prairiewolves for three season and had two players receive All-Great Plains Athletic Conference Honors.
Prior to her time at NWU, Sander served as head volleyball coach and assistant basketball coach at Buena Vista University from 2000-05. As the head volleyball coach, Sander led the Beavers to a runner-up finish in the 2003 Iowa Conference Tournament and was named the 2003 Iowa Conference Coach of the Year. During her time as the assistant coach for the women’s basketball team she helped the Beavers to a 91-45 record, including a 25-3 record in 2004-05, with a 16-0 Iowa Conference record.
During her first season at Minnesota State, Sander served as an assistant coach on the Maverick squad which claimed the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship. Minnesota State set several team records during the 2008-09 season, including games played (34), wins (32), most home wins (16), most points (2,763), best field goal % (.472) and most three pointers made (242).
Her 16th season (2023-24) at Minnesota State was another one for the history books as the Mavericks boasted a 32-5 record as they went on to claim their second NCAA DII Championship in team history. MSU also won its second NSIC regular season championship behind a 20-2 conference record and its first NSIC Tournament championship. In total, the Mavericks set several single-season records including games played (37), most wins (32, tied with 2008-09 season), points scored (3,069), field goal attempts (2,673), field goals made (1,146), field goal attempts (789) and free throws made (571).
Following the team's historic run, Sander helped the Mavericks reach the NSIC Tournament Championship game again in 2025-26. The team went on to defeat Missouri Western in the NCAA Region Tournament first round. Following the team's historic run, Thiesse helped the Mavericks reach the NSIC Tournament Championship game again in 2025-26. The team went on to defeat Missouri Western in the NCAA Region Tournament first round.
Additionally, she has helped coach seven MSU teams to NCAA Tournament appearances and during her tenure. A total of 31 Mavericks have earned All-NSIC honors, including Heather Johnson, who was named the league’s Player of the Year in 2009, Destinee Bursch who was named the NSIC Freshman of the Year in 2022 and Joey Batt who was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
In total, the Mavericks have posted 13 winning seasons during Sander's tenure on the women's basketball coaching staff, including seven seasons in which Minnesota State has won at least 21 games.
Sander, a native of Genoa, Ohio, graduated from Baldwin-Wallace in 1995 where she earned a degree in sport management and was a two-time captain and a four-year letterwinner in basketball from 1991-95. In 1997, Sander graduated from Bowling Green State University with a master’s of education and concentration in sport management. Sander resides in Mankato.
