Heard replaces Jamelle Elliott, who was fired after nine seasons with a 113-162 record. The Lady Bearcats are coming off their best season since 2002-03 by going 19-13 and 10-6 in the American Athletic Conference, losing to Michigan State in the WNIT first round.
A Lady Topper from 1987-90, Heard played in four straight NCAA Tournaments under Sanderford. Heard later joined Sanderford’s staff as an assistant at Nebraska from 1998-2002 before going to Cincinnati.
“We won a lot of championships, but there were times when we knew we wouldn’t have a chance to get an at-large bid,” Heard said.