NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Stephanie White has been named the new head coach for Vanderbilt women's basketball program, the university has announced.

White, who currently is serving in her second season as head coach of the WNBA's Indiana Fever, becomes just the fifth all-time head coach in the history of the Vanderbilt program.

“The opportunity to lead Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball program is an opportunity that I simply could not pass up,” White said. "The combination of Vanderbilt’s culture, where achievement – both on and off the court -- is so highly valued, together with the institution’s fan support, and a legacy of winning basketball to build upon, is incredibly exciting to me. I appreciate the support and understanding that I have received from the Indiana Fever, from management to the players, regarding my passion to coach college basketball at an elite institution.”

"Above all else, academics, research, scholarship, and service define the Vanderbilt experience, yet we also compete at the highest levels in athletics,” Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos said in announcing White. “Coach White's values align perfectly with those in our university community. I welcome Stephanie to Vanderbilt and look forward to working with her as she leads our women's basketball program to fulfill our goals and highest potential."

“Stephanie White has been a winner in every phase of her career,” Vanderbilt Director of Athletics David Williams said. “She was the nation’s high school player of the year, she was the NCAA’s Player of the Year on a national championship team and she led her WNBA team into the finals in her first year. She was an outstanding scholar. She wants to coach at Vanderbilt and we believe she is just the person to lead our program back into national prominence."

White -- who played five seasons in the WNBA after a decorated playing career at Purdue -- was named head coach for the Fever in September 2014. In 2015, she guided the Fever to the WNBA finals, becoming the first rookie coach in league history to lead a team to the finals.

As a collegiate player, White enjoyed a highly successful career at Purdue, where she earned national Player of the Year honors after helping lead the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA championship as a senior. That season, she also received the Wade Trophy (given to the nation's top female player) and was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year.

She averaged double-figure scoring in all four seasons of her college career, including 20.2 points per game as a senior. White was inducted into the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame on April 21, 2006.

White was also a star in the classroom at Purdue. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was an Academic All-American.

White has been coaching in the WNBA since 2007, and has also served as a college basketball analyst for ESPN and the Big Ten Network.

She was an assistant coach with the Chicago Sky from 2007-2010, then joined the Fever staff as an assistant in 2011. She was promoted to associate head coach in 2014 before being named head coach after Lin Dunn's retirement.

Prior to coaching in the WNBA, White coached in the college ranks, serving as an assistant at Toledo (2005–07), Kansas State (2004–05) and Ball State (2003–04).

Before beginning her coaching career, White enjoyed a productive five-year WNBA career, spending one season with the Charlotte Sting and four with the Indiana Fever, before retiring in 2004.

At the completion of her four seasons with the Fever, she ranked third in games played (112) and 3-pointers (92), and fourth in scoring (684). She was named to the Fever’s All-Decade Team that was announced in 2009.

At Vanderbilt, White is replacing Melanie Balcomb, who resigned last month after 14 seasons with the Commodores.

For more on Stephanie White, visit http://www.vanderbilt.edu/coachwhite.

Vanderbilt women's basketball: Peck named associate coach on White's staff

Carolyn Peck, a member of the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame, has been named associate coach of the women's basketball team. She will serve on the staff of Stephanie White, the Commodores' newly-named head coach.

Peck, an ESPN analyst for the past nine years, was the head coach at Purdue during White's junior and senior seasons -- and together, they led the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA National Championship. Peck won multiple national coach of the year awards that season, including the Naismith National Coach of the Year, USBWA Coach of the Year, WBCA Coach of the Year and AP College Basketball Coach of the Year.

"I'm so excited to return to Vanderbilt with Stephanie White," said Peck. "Nobody knows what a winner she is more than me. We won with her as a player and I have covered her coaching career especially in the WNBA. I couldn't be prouder of what Stephanie has done and is going to do at Vanderbilt.

"Vanderbilt is a great school where a student-athlete can have the best of both worlds, academically and athletically. I'm proof of that," Peck added. "I can't wait to get started."

Peck will play an integral role for the Commodores in the next few months. While White completes the season with WNBA's Indiana Fever, Peck will helped lead the women’s basketball program as the interim head coach. Once the WNBA season concludes, Peck will remain on staff as Associate Coach.

"Carolyn is someone who can really hit the ground running. I wanted to have someone in there with whom I could have frank, honest communication, that could carry out the vision of what we want to accomplish as a program on the court, in the classroom, in the community and from a recruiting standpoint. Carolyn knows me, how I operate and my expectation level; and we have a great relationship, so it's a natural fit. I also knew that I wanted to have a Vanderbilt alum that is really engrained in the community and understands the core values of Vanderbilt University, so it's a win, win."

Peck coached at Purdue from 1997-99, and has also been a head coach at the University of Florida (2002-2007) and for the WNBA's Orlando Miracle, where she also served as the general manager.

Peck was a standout for the Commodores from 1984-88 and ranks among Vanderbilt's all-time leaders in multiple categories. She averaged 10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game during her career, and ranks No. 24 on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,240 points. She also ranks fifth in career blocked shots (180) and No. 10 in single-season blocks (57).

She was inducted into Vanderbilt's Hall of Fame in 2013. Peck is also a member of the Tennessee Hall of Fame.

During her high school career, Peck, a native of Jefferson City, Tenn., was a Parade All-American.

Quick Hits l Ranks 24th in career scoring at Vanderbiltl Member of Vanderbilt's athletic Hall of Famel Purdue head coach for two seasons, winning the 1999 NCAA Championshipl Named 1999 Coach of the Year by SBWA, USBWA, WBCA and AP l Served three seasons as head coach and general manager of the WNBA's Orlando Miracle l Head coach at University of Florida for five years l Served as basketball analyst for ESPN for nine years