Colorado State University Athletics
Jen Warden replaced as women's basketball coach
3/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 26, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk announced Wednesday that Jen Warden has been replaced as the school's head women's basketball coach. Kristen Holt, an assistant on the staff, has been named Warden's successor, effective immediately.
"Jen and I have been meeting since the end of the season," said Kowalczyk. "I felt it was best to take the program in a different direction at this time. We need to chart a new course that will benefit the overall health and long-term welfare of our program."
Assistant coaches Dick Lien and Randie Wirt and director of basketball operations Matt Klein will be retained. Holt will hire an additional assistant coach in the near future.
"I am confident that Kristen Holt will provide the best leadership and guidance for our women's basketball program as we move forward," said Kowalczyk. "She has had a wealth of experience and her knowledge of our program is invaluable."
Kowalczyk said Holt agreed to take the reins of the program Wednesday afternoon, and the two agreed they would evaluate the progress of the program following the 2008-09 season.
Holt, who becomes the 10th head coach in the program's history, joined the Rams staff in 2007 as an assistant coach in charge of recruiting efforts and guards, after holding a similar position at Wichita State for four seasons under head coach Jane Albright. While at Wichita State, Holt played a vital role in the development of the Shockers guards.
Prior to her work at Wichita State, Holt was recognized as the Big South Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, after serving as interim head coach at Radford University for the 2001-02 season. As an assistant at Radford from 1995-2001, Holt helped to guide a team that won the 1996 Big South Conference tournament title and participated in the 1996 NCAA tournament.
A native of Lima, Ohio, Holt played collegiately at Ohio University, where she earned both a bachelor of science degree in physical education and a master's in athletic administration. As a player, Holt was a four-year letterwinner and captain at Ohio from 1990-92. As a freshman, she was named to the Mid-American Conference all-freshman team. Holt served as the director of basketball summer camps at Ohio University in 1993 and began her coaching career at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio (1993-94), where she helped guide the team to the Midwestern Collegiate Conference championship.
Warden was named head coach of the CSU women's program on May 10, 2005, after three seasons at the helm of the Boise State program. During her tenure at Colorado State, Warden posted a record of 21-69. Overall, in six seasons as a head coach, she had compiled a record of 50-128 from 2002-08.
