Cardinal Mooney girls basketball names new head coach

Cardinal Mooney girls basketball head coach Amanda Boswell poses for a photo. Boswell was hired to lead Cardinal Mooney girls' basketball on Thursday, April 30.

When Amanda Boswell received the call, she was already preparing for a job she didn't have.

Sitting in her upstairs office, Boswell wasn't just putting drills or practice plans together. Instead, she was crafting ways to make Cardinal Mooney a state championship contender year-to-year. What culture should she create? What standard should she set? How long will it take to get there?

And then, the phone rang.

Cardinal Mooney named Amanda Boswell its girls' basketball coach on Thursday, April 30, making her the first female basketball coach in school history.

"I'm not just looking to be a basketball coach here at Cardinal Mooney," Boswell said. "There are a lot of coaches that come into a program, and they just want to coach a team that's already there. And that's not what I'm looking to do. I'm looking to build a legacy program over the years, which takes more than X's and O's on the court."

Boswell, who began coaching immediately after high school, brings 17 years of experience, mostly through travel organizations like Tampa Thunder. She's helped over 70 players earn basketball scholarships at the Division I, II and III level.

Since moving to Florida from northern Virginia, where Boswell is from, she has been connected with Cardinal Mooney. She was originally introduced to former head coach Rico Antonio, and several Cougars have played in her travel organization since.

"When I was choosing to coach for an actual high school program, I wanted to make sure that it was the right fit," Boswell said. "That's very important. And Cardinal Mooney fits for me when it comes to faith, when it comes to academics, when it comes to the type of kids and families they like to bring into the school. Plus, very competitive athletics."

She replaces Marlon Williams, who took over the program in May 2022, leading Cardinal Mooney to its first FHSAA Class 3A state championship and fifth state appearance in March 2025. Cardinal Mooney finished 16-14 this season, falling to Lake Highland Prep in the Class 3A-Region 2 semifinals.