Nicki Collen, who has coached the Atlanta Dream for the past three seasons, has been hired as the new women’s coach at Baylor University.

Collen was named the WNBA coach of the year after leading Atlanta to the WNBA semifinals in 2018. Atlanta finished with a combined record of 15-41 in the last two seasons, missing the playoffs each year.

Collen replaces Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey, who won three nationals titles at Baylor before leaving last month to coach at LSU, and will be formally introduced Wednesday on the Waco, Texas, campus. Collen’s departure comes less than two weeks before the Dream’s 2021 season opener May 14.

“I am thrilled to be the head coach at Baylor University. I believe it is the top job in the country for women’s basketball,” Collen said in a statement released by Baylor. “The success of this program speaks for itself, and I will begin working today to ensure Baylor women’s basketball continues to be a program that excels at the highest levels.”

- The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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