WICHITA, Kan. -- Former Drake University volunteer assistant coach Amber Wood has been named assistant softball coach at Wichita State, fifth-year head coach Mike Perniciaro announced today.

“I'm excited to have Amber join our coaching staff,” Perniciaro said. “Her familiarity with the Missouri Valley Conference will be beneficial to our program. She is an outstanding teacher of the game which will help get the most out of our players.”

The Alburnett, Iowa, native spent last season as a volunteer assistant coach at Drake, where she aided in running practice, individual workouts and softball camps, instructed players on in-game hitting adjustments and assisted in calling pitches and analyzing opponents. Working primarily with infielders, outfielders and hitters, Wood helped lead the Bulldogs to a 30-23 record, marking just the seventh 30-win season in school history, and a fourth place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference. DU ranked fifth in the MVC with a .963 fielding percentage.

Prior to her time at Drake, Wood was the assistant coach at Lipscomb University for two seasons. She planned and supervised practices, individual workouts and conditioning, coordinated travel arrangements, assisted with recruiting, monitored players' academics and devoloped and managed softball camps. During Wood's second season, the Lady Bison won the Atlantic Sun regular season and received the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. While at Lipscomb she earned her masters in educational leadership.

Wood spent time as an instructor for Perfect Game Softball in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she gave lessons on hitting, fielding and pitching, following a year as a student assistant coach at Iowa State. Wood played two seasons for the Cyclones under head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler while she earned her bachelor's degree in sports management.

Before playing at ISU, Wood played two seasons at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As an infielder, she helped lead the Eagles to a fifth-place finish at the NJCAA Division II World Series.

Amber was recently married to Justin Knickerbocker. She will assume her duties at Wichita State on August 9.