Des Moines, Iowa - AIB College of Business announced today that Jerry Kindhart is taking a leave of absence from duties as head women's basketball coach.

Kindhart is in his third season at AIB. A member of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and Iowa High School Athletic Association Halls of Fame, he has been involved with women's basketball for more than 40 years, coaching at South Page, Ida Grove, Ballard, Urbandale, Melcher-Dallas and Dallas Center-Grimes high schools. He led Ballard to the state tournament in 1970 and Dallas Center-Grimes in 1998.

Under his leadership, the AIB Eagles finished above .500 at 16-14 for the first time in program history in 2010-2011. His team is 8-12 this season, and Kindhart has a 35-44 overall record at the helm of the AIB women's program.

Earlier in the week, Kindhart celebrated as one of his recruits, junior Caitlin Hagarty (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls), became the first player in AIB history to score 1,000 points.

"Having Caitlin achieve such an honor speaks to her dedication and commitment to the women's basketball program at AIB," Kindhart said. "From the minute I recruited Caitlin, I knew she would bring great things to our team, both on the court and in the classroom."

Associate Head Coach John Carle will take over as interim coach of the AIB team. Carle is an Iowa High School Athletic Association and Des Moines Lincoln High School Hall of Famer with more than 50 years of coaching experience.

Women's basketball returned to AIB in 2007, after more than a 50-year hiatus. From 1929 to 1952, AIB's powerhouse women's basketball team was known nationwide.