Amanda Short enters her tenth season as the head coach of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team in 2024-25.

Short led the Cougars to a historic season in 2020-21. Under Short's guidance, MVNU was selected for the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2010-11, and just the second time in program history. Under Short, MVNU would win it's first NAIA National Tournament game in program history with a 73-58 victory over (RV) LSU-Shreveport in the Alexandria, Louisiana bracket.

In MVNU's next opening round game, it took on Wayland Baptist Univeristy, the top seed in the Alexandria, Louisiana Bracket. The Cougars defeated Wayland by a score of 77-74 to advance to the NAIA National Tournament Round of 16 in Sioux City, Iowa, for the first time in program history. The win for MVNU also snapped Wayland's 40 game winning streak.

The historic run for MVNU came to an end in the Round of 16, as it fell to Thomas More University, who was the top seed in the tournament and NAIA National Champion Runner-Ups.

Short has made a mark on the program, improving the team's record over the years to 10-20 in 2015-16, 13-17 in 2016-17. and 17-14 in 2017-2018. In 2019-2020, Short led MVNU to its most wins in a season since 2011-2012, as the team finished the year with a record of 18-13.

Short was named the seventh coach in the program history in August 2015. She came to MVNU from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois where she has served as the Assistant Women's Basketball Coach and Head Junior Varsity Coach.

Short is a 2009 graduate of Trinity Christian College and had an outstanding collegiate career as a player. She was named the CCAC Freshman of the Year following the 2005-06 season and was named to the All-Conference team as a sophomore, junior, and senior. Short earned NCCAA All-Region Honors three times and was an NCCAA All-American Honorable Mention as a senior. She helped guide the team to the conference tournament title in 2007 and the school's first ever trip to the NAIA National Championship tournament.

Short accumulated 1,424 career points and 813 rebounds, ranking her seventh and sixth respectively in the Trinity record books. She owns the school career record for three throw percentage (78.6%) and holds the single season record for free throw percentage at 85.9%, which she set during the 2006-07 campaign.

Short holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports and Leisure Studies, with minors in Coaching, Education, and Theology. Short finished her Master's Degree in Sports Science from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama.

Amanda and her husband Nathan reside in Mount Vernon with their two young children, Molly and Taylor.