Adjusting from player on the court to fan on the sideline isn’t an easy task.

So former Iowa basketball player Abby Emmert made a compromise.

After four years with the women’s basketball team, from 2005-08, the Winterset, Iowa, native worked with United Way of East Central Iowa in Cedar Rapids, using her degree in communication studies.

However, when her former squad looked to fill an opening for the director of basketball operations, the opportunity was one she couldn’t pass up.

“I’m looking at maybe going into coaching,” the 24-year-old said. “Just having an opportunity to come back to Iowa was something that I was really interested in and excited about.”

The Hawkeyes advertised for the job after their former director decided to go into high-school coaching. After applying for the position, Emmert had to sit through an interview process with the coaching staff before the members announced their decision.

However, being a former player gave her an advantage over the other 80-plus candidates.

“When you hire somebody who has been a part of your program, you know what you’re getting,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “You know what her strengths are. You know what her weaknesses are. You know what she is capable of doing. When you’re hiring a total stranger, those are unknowns, and those can come back and hurt you.”

Two NCAA postseason (2006, 2008) appearances, team cocaptain honors, and a co-Big Ten regular-season championship during her senior year in 2008 highlighted Emmert’s time with the basketball program. She finished her career playing 123 games as a Hawkeye, piling up 299 points, 144 rebounds, and 177 assists.

Emmert’s return benefits the program in many ways, including her own experience as a player, Bluder said during a press conference on Wednesday.

“She’s been there,” the 10th-year head coach said. “She’s lived it for four years. She knows exactly what they’re going through. She’s not so far displaced in age that she can’t remember what it’s like to be a player. I think that’s good for us as a staff to have that voice that’s reminding us of the type of issues that on our players are facing. I think she’s a great example.”

For a few players on this season’s squad, bringing in a familiar face is refreshing. Junior cocaptain Kelsey Cermak was a only freshman when Emmert was captain, and Cermak said she views her as a mentor.

“Not too long ago, she was in our position as a player,” Cermak said. “She knows exactly what it’s like being on this court, and she knows all the little things it takes to be a player. She’s going to help us with stuff off the court and on the court, so she will be a very good help to our team.”

Emmert’s responsibilities include a lot of behind the scenes work, such as scheduling and travel plans. She also assists in organizing volunteer work for the Hawkeyes.

Her love for basketball and experience with the program is what makes her such an invaluable candidate. Returning to the program, she hopes to continue the learning experience that began while she was a player.

“I’m excited to continue to have that opportunity,” she said. “To be able to continue to learn about the game of basketball and about coaching and just as many things that I learned about them when I was a player.”