After many years as an assistant at the college and WNBA levels, Nicki Collen is moving into a head-coaching role.

Collen was named coach of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream on Monday. She replaces Michael Cooper, who was fired on Sept. 5 following the team's worst season since 2008.

The Dream went 12-22 and missed the playoffs.

"I am humbled at the opportunity to become the next head coach of the Atlanta Dream and incredibly proud to be associated with a league that empowers women in such a positive way," Collen said Monday.

Prior to her time as an assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun, Nicki Collen was a college assistant at Florida Gulf Coast, Arkansas, Louisville, Ball State and Colorado State. Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire

She has been a supporter of the WNBA since it started, even trying out for the Detroit Shock after graduating college.

"I've been consistently blown away by how good the league is and how good the players are individually," Collen said. "So proud of the product all these teams put on the floor."

In her second season as an assistant under Connecticut coach Curt Miller, Collen helped guide the Sun to a 21-13 record and the franchise's first postseason appearance since 2012. Connecticut improved on a 14-20 finish in 2016, and Miller was named the 2017 WNBA Coach of the Year.

"I was lucky working for Curt and really understand how we built our culture and getting it done in the locker room first," she said. "We have got to get everyone on the same page. Let's face it, individual accolades come when a team succeeds at a high level."

Prior to her time with the Sun, Collen was a college assistant at Florida Gulf Coast, Arkansas, Louisville, Ball State and Colorado State.

Collen played collegiately at Purdue for two seasons before finishing her career at Marquette. She was part of Purdue's 1994 Women's Final Four team.

"Nicki brings impressive basketball and coaching credentials along with great leadership qualities and we are thrilled to welcome her to the Atlanta Dream," team owners Kelly Loeffler and Mary Brock said in a statement. "We believe her strong emphasis on player development alongside a disciplined offensive and defensive system will position our talented team to be a playoff contender.

"She impressed us with her vision for building on the decade of growth for the Dream and we are excited about launching our 2018 season with this announcement."

Collen will be asked to direct a turnaround of the Dream. Atlanta standout Angel McCoughtry did not play this past WNBA season as she took some time off to rest. She is expected to return to the league in 2018.

"I coached her for two years and was around Angel in the early years," Collen said.

The Dream saw three players make the 2017 All-Star squad -- Tiffany Hayes, Elizabeth Williams and Layshia Clarendon -- and boast one of the top rookies in the league in Brittney Sykes.

"The Dream roster is loaded with talented women," Collen said. "I look forward to the challenge of putting all the pieces together and building a program the players and fans can be proud of."

The longtime assistant said she isn't afraid of becoming a head coach for the first time.

"I think that I've been really lucky to work for people who really empowered me," she said. "Curt especially turning the defense over to me, being in the huddle and making in-game decisions on the defensive side of the ball, really being involved that way has helped. There's more pressure in the first chair and players tend to like you better in the second chair."

Collen said her phone has been ringing nonstop since the move was announced. She already has talked to All-Star point guard Clarendon and hopes to talk to the rest of Atlanta's players soon.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.