SAN ANTONIO — UTSA Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey announced on Saturday that she has named Kristen Holt as head women's basketball coach. Her appointment is effective immediately pending a background check.
"We are excited to announce Kristen Holt as our next head women's basketball coach" Hickey said. "She brings a wealth of experience as both a head and assistant coach to the table. She has been a positive influence on our team for the past four years, and we see that as a tremendous asset as we are making this coaching transition. We look forward to working with Kristen and building the resources for our program so that we are competing for Conference USA Championships and giving our student-athletes an outstanding experience both academically and athletically."
Holt, who has served as the program's associate head coach for the past four seasons, becomes the ninth head coach in the program's history.
"I am excited and very thankful for the opportunity to be the next head women's basketball coach at UTSA," Holt said. "I appreciate the confidence that our director of athletics, Lynn Hickey, has in me and the staff to take our program to the next level of success and compete for Conference USA championships. Four years ago, Luby Lichonczak hired me as his assistant coach, and I am grateful to him for bringing me to the city of San Antonio and UTSA. The future is bright for our athletics program and university."
As associate head coach for four seasons, Holt oversaw all aspects of the program from recruiting, scheduling opponents, film breakdown, scouting reports and guard development.
In 2016-17, she helped guide the Roadrunners to a league-leading defensive field-goal percentage of .385. UTSA also ranked second in C-USA in fewest turnovers and third in steals.
Holt was instrumental in leading the Roadrunners to the program's only two wins over nationally ranked opponents. The feat first happened during the 2014-15 campaign when UTSA edged No. 24 WKU by a score of 64-63. The Roadrunners upset No. 25 UTEP, 69-64, to end the 2015-16 regular season.
Holt has mentored several notable players during her tenure at UTSA, including Kamra King, who holds the program record for most starts at 118 and also ranks second with 240 steals and third with 1,367 career points.
The Roadrunners also have found success in the classroom, as the team has earned two consecutive C-USA Sport Academic Awards for the best team GPA in the league in 2016 and 2017.
Prior to her time at UTSA, Holt was the head coach at Colorado State from 2008-12. The Rams consistently moved up the Mountain West Conference (MWC) standings, including a 9-5 record and third-place finish in 2011-12, the highest MWC finish for CSU since 2003-04. Holt took over the head-coaching role at Colorado State following the 2007-08 season on an interim basis before having the interim tag removed following the 2008-09 season. Prior to being promoted to the interim head coach position, Holt spent the 2007-08 season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Rams.
Kim Mestdagh (first team), Sam Marting (second team) and Meghan Heimstra (Sixth Woman of the Year) each earned All-MWC recognition during Holt's final season in Fort Collins. In addition to her coaching duties, she organized Colorado State's High Hoops Club, a 90-member women's basketball booster club.
Prior to her tenure at Colorado State, Holt served on Jane Albright's staff at Wichita State from 2003-07. Holt assisted in all aspects of recruiting, scouting, film breakdown and the planning of summer basketball camps for the Shockers. Holt also coordinated the Shockers High Hoops Club and the Jane's Gems Kids Club.
Before her time in Wichita, Holt was an assistant coach at Radford from 1995-2001. In her first two seasons as an assistant, Radford won the Big South Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Highlanders also placed second in the nation for team GPA in 2000-01. She was promoted to interim head coach during the 2001-02 season and earned 2002 Big South Conference Coach of the Year honors.
Holt began her coaching career at Xavier in 1993-94 and helped guide the Musketeers to a Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship.
Holt entered the coaching ranks following a distinguished playing career at Ohio, where she was a four-year letterwinner, two-year captain and part of the 1988 Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team.
As a senior at Bath High School in Lima, Ohio, Holt was named first-team All-Ohio and the Class AA State Tournament MVP in 1987 after leading the Wildcats to the state title. Holt also was a 1987 AAU All-American.
She graduated from Ohio with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1992 and completed her master's degree in athletic administration a year later.
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