PHILADELPHIA (4/25/01) - Cindy Anderson, the head women's basketball coach at Loyola (Md.) College for the past two-and-a-half seasons, has been named head coach of the Saint Joseph's University women's basketball team. A 1991 graduate of SJU, Anderson is the seventh head coach in the program's 28-year history. She will be introduced to the university community in a 3 p.m. press conference. The 32-year-old Anderson was elevated to the position of head women's basketball coach at Loyola College midway through the 1998-99 season. She was the seventh-youngest head coach in Division I at the time. The team's associate head coach prior to assuming the helm, Anderson replaced Patty Coyle (who moved on to serve as an assistant coach with the WNBA's New York Liberty). Anderson compiled a record of 48-33 during her tenure at the Baltimore school, guiding the Greyhounds to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinals all three seasons. Anderson finished her playing career as a fifth-year senior at Saint Joseph's in 1992, then spent the 1992-93 season as a graduate assistant at her alma mater. She moved on to Vanderbilt University, where she served as assistant coach from 1993-95 on the staff of former Saint Joseph's head coach Jim Foster. Anderson left Vanderbilt after the 1995 season to return to the East Coast as an assistant coach at Loyola College. She spent two seasons as an assistant at Loyola before being elevated to the role of associate head coach in 1997. One of the top playmakers in Saint Joseph's history, Anderson starred for the Hawks from 1987-88 through 1991-92 (losing one season to injury). A three-year team captain, Anderson finished her career with 662 points, 278 rebounds, 510 assists and 197 steals. She still ranks fourth on SJU's all-time assists list. As a junior (1990-91), Anderson played in 1,178 out of a possible 1,200 minutes to set the school record for minutes played in a single season. The Hawks made three NCAA tournament appearances and posted three straight 20-win seasons during her playing career. A two-time second-team all-Big 5 choice as well as a third-team all-Atlantic 10 pick as a senior, she was inducted into the Saint Joseph's women's basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. "We were fortunate to meet several outstanding candidates during the interview process," said SJU athletic director Don DiJulia, "and even more fortunate that Cindy Anderson was one of those candidates. It is clear that she will bring the same passion and leadership to representing Saint Joseph's as a coach that she did as a player. We welcome her back to Hawk Hill and look forward to continuing the proud tradition of SJU women's basketball." Anderson, a native of Maple Glen, Pa., played her high school basketball in the Philadelphia Catholic League, graduating from Bishop McDevitt High School in 1987. She earned a Bachelor's degree in accounting from Saint Joseph's in 1991 and completed work on an M.B.A. degree from SJU in 1993.