Albemarle High School is hoping a transplant from the Arizona can turn around its struggling girls basketball program.

The school announced on Wednesday that Rachel Proudfoot was taking over the girls basketball program.

Proudfoot had been coaching basketball in Arizona for more than a decade, including the last four as head coach at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix. She recently moved to Central Virginia to be with family that had already relocated from California, and discovered the Patriots' opening online.

"This program is almost similar to where I started my last program," Proudfoot said on Wednesday. "They just needed a coach coming in that was new, that was willing to implant some great ideas and some new things. And so, within four years, it's a lot of work."

That hard work paid off at Desert Vista. The Thunder went 78-40 in four seasons under Proudfoot, and reached three Arizona state quarterfinals, including this most recent season.

Proudfoot takes over a team that went 5-20 under Harry Terrell in 2011-2012. But Proudfoot sees potential in the Patriots.

"There's a great foundation built here, with our academics and our student-athletes. So I'm excited about that," Proudfoot said as her new team played behind her. "They're excited. They're already on the court. So that's a good thing. That shows me they're ready for change, and new-ness."