Amanda Niehoff is leaving St. Paul’s after eight years to become head girls basketball coach at Saraland.

Saraland officially announced the move on social media this morning.

“Saraland reached out to me a couple of weeks ago,” Niehoff said. “I sat down with them, and we talked about the future of Saraland basketball. I spoke with coach (Jeff) Kelly, Mr. (Brent) Harrison and coach (Donna) Sunnycalb. The way their athletics program is developing, the correlation between academics and athletics and their facilities – it was a decision I had to make. I’m excited to get started.”

Niehoff led St. Paul’s to a 15-15 record and a South Regional semifinal appearance this season. A year ago, she took the Saints to the Class 5A final four for the first time since 2007 and was named AL.com’s Coastal Alabama Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.

She was 116-93 overall with St. Paul’s. She replaces Janel Williams at Saraland.

“St. Paul’s has been amazing,” she said. “The support and the love I’ve received over the last eight years has been phenomenal. When I took the job here, my son was six months gold. He’s now in third grade.

“The relationships I’ve been able to build with my co-workers and colleagues and obviously my players have been amazing. I feel like over the course of eight years we’ve built a championship level program, and I’m excited for whoever steps in and takes over. I know they will do a good job.”

Niehoff and her son spent Tuesday afternoon at Saraland watching baseball, softball and soccer.

“Saraland is a phenomenal city school system that values academics and athletics and the role it can play for our student-athletes,” Niehoff said. “They understand the qualities that help develop amazing daughters, wives, sisters, professionals and future mothers. I can’t wait to get there and continue to foster that culture and elevate the girls basketball program to the level it can and should be.”

Niehoff said she hopes to meet the team in the next few days and then start reaching out to the middle school program as well.

“One of the big advantages for Saraland is that everyone that lives there is a Spartan from Day 1, and I think the basketball program needs to take advantage of that,” she said. “I’m ready to get started. I throw myself into whatever program I’m coaching 100 percent, and we are ready to be Spartans.”

Prior to taking over at St. Paul’s, Niehoff was an assistant at UMS-Wright for Terry Canova.