University of Hawaii associate coach Mary Wooley is leaving the Rainbow Wahine basketball program to take the same post at Loyola University Maryland, UH announced on Tuesday.

Wooley was among the first hires announced after Laura Beeman was named UH head coach in 2012. She served as associate coach for the past four seasons and said the move was “100 percent motivated” by the chance to be closer to family.

“I have a young son who will be 1 in October and getting back to see family has been challenging and it’s really motivated by the opportunity to have him grow up around cousins and grandparents and is what spurred this for me,” said Wooley, whose family lives just outside of Philadelphia.

Wooley worked with Beeman as assistant coaches at USC prior to moving to Hawaii. She contributed to the growth of a UH program that has gone 71-48 overall and 49-17 in Big West play in the past four years and qualified for postseason play each season. The Rainbow Wahine won the Big West tournament to advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 18 years last season.

“Words can not express what Coach Wooley has meant to me and to this program,” Beeman said in a UH release. “I can say with no hesitation that Rainbow Wahine basketball is better today because of Mary, her investment to the players, her tireless work ethic and her support of me. I am incredibly grateful to Mary and excited for her future and thrilled she will be closer to family. Our loss is their gain.”

During her stay, Wooley’s responsibilities included coordinating scheduling, recruiting and academics along with her on-court coaching duties.

“I’ve been changed by the school and the island and I feel like a better person having experienced what the University of Hawaii has to offer and the opportunities Coach Beeman gave me to find my coaching voice and be so involved in the decision- making of the program.

“We have a tremendous relationship. More than anything, I’m leaving a mentor, but I’m also saying goodbye to a really good friend.”

Along with nine newcomers on the playing roster, the Wahine coaching staff will have two new coaches following the departures of Wooley and assistant Dekita Williams following the season.