PITTSBURGH (AP) - A former high school basketball coach has pleaded guilty to having sex with a 16-year-old female player and been sentenced to 11 ½ to 23 months in jail.

Cliff Foster, 33, was sentenced after pleading guilty Wednesday to institutional sexual assault and corruption of minors for his relationship with the Pine-Richland High School player.Foster pleaded guilty to spare the girl the trauma of a trial, defense attorney Robert Andrews said.Foster had been jailed since Jan. 19, after prosecutors said he violated his bond by contacting the girl several times between Nov. 26 and Jan. 4. Foster sent the girl a silver necklace, wrote her a love letter and called her through his sister, Allegheny County prosecutors said.Foster must also serve seven years' probation and register as a sex offender after he gets out of jail, and can't contact the girl for 10 years.The sexual relationship began in April and ended in October after police arrested Foster once a county child welfare caseworker reported about a possible relationship Foster was having with the girl.The girl also played for an Amateur Athletic Union club team Foster founded and allegedly had sex with him in hotel rooms on trips to Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Washington D.C.