Bucknell women’s basketball head coach Trevor Woodruff announced his 2025-26 coaching staff with the hiring of Lauren Holden as Associate Head Coach and Danielle Patterson as an Assistant Coach. Holden arrives at Bucknell after coaching at three institutions, and a distinguished playing career with Fordham. Patterson lands in Lewisburg after stellar seasons at three programs. Assistant coaches Shelby Case and Edward Joyner Jr. return for a second season after joining the staff last year.
“My goal in completing the staff this year was to hire highly talented, hard-working, and loyal coaches that would connect with our players,” said Woodruff. “Equally important was to continue the positive momentum generated from last season and these additions will achieve that goal.”
Holden’s coaching journey began at FDU in 2019 as the director of operations and assistant coach. Holden helped FDU’s program record its first NEC Tournament win in 30 years (2019-20).
Her next stop was her alma mater Fordham. The Rams made the WNIT Tournament in her two seasons. She developed several First Team All-A10 and award-winning players.
Holden spent the last two campaigns as an assistant coach for Gardner-Webb. With her guidance, Ashley Hawkins earned 2024-25 Big South Player of the Year and led the conference in scoring.
Holden has connections throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast – the bedrock of Bucknell’s recruiting pool, especially in New Jersey, which has benefited the Bison program in recent years.
“I am excited about Lauren,” said Woodruff. “She is going to come in and make an immediate impact on our point guards. She was a great player in her own right at Fordham and brings excellent experience to the job. Naming her associate head coach was the natural next step for her career. I am looking forward to seeing all she does as our recruiting coordinator.”
Holden’s playing career marked the Fordham record book. She finished her career with 1,141 points (17th at the time), 213 three-pointers (third), and an 85.3 free throw rate (fourth). She averaged 34.0 minutes per game in her career, including ironwoman numbers in her junior (39.2) and senior (38.6) seasons, which led to her most minutes played in program history (4,492).
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to be at Bucknell,” said Holden. “A huge thank you to Coach Woodruff for this amazing opportunity. You’re only as good as the people around you, and this program is filled with exceptional individuals. I’m excited to contribute and help carry forward a legacy of excellence.”
A native of Cape May, New Jersey, Holden graduated from Fordham in 2019 with a bachelor of arts in communications and media studies.
Patterson played on the 2017-18 Notre Dame national championship team where she contributed with a 48.7% field goal percentage. Transferring to Indiana, she spent the 2020-21 season with the Hoosiers. She entered the transfer portal again and landed at St. John’s for her final two seasons.
The 2022-23 campaign was memorable for St. John’s as the program returned to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2016. The Red Storm earned a First Four bid as a No. 11 seed where St. John’s defeated fellow No. 11 seed Purdue 66-64. Their tournament run ended with a 61-59 defeat to sixth-seeded North Carolina. Patterson spearheaded the near-upset, scoring 13 points in 18 minutes on 5-of-10 shooting, including perfection (2-of-2) from three-point territory.
The forward completed her career with solid numbers, shooting 264 of 557 (47.4%) from the field, a sharp 43 of 115 (37.3%) from beyond the arc, and added 106 free throws for a total of 677 points. She collected 366 rebounds and blocked 52 shots.
“Danielle is going to bring an entirely new vibe to our program,” said Woodruff. “She is young, she is energetic. This is her first opportunity in a full-time coaching role and there is no question about her readiness. She will be working with our post players. We have a long history of excelling in our recruitment and development of post players. She will add to that lineage.”
Following her playing career, Patterson remained with St. John’s as their graduate assistant for the 2023-24 season. She received a promotion to Director of Basketball Operations for the 2024-25 campaign.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be stepping into a new coaching role at Bucknell under the leadership of Coach Woodruff,” said Patterson. “Supporting others, fostering growth, and empowering young women to reach their goals is something I’m truly passionate about. I’m honored to contribute to a program with such a strong foundation, and I’m excited to help build on that success and reach new heights. Time to get to work!”
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Patterson graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana in Broadcast & Sports Media (2021) and earned two Master’s degrees from St. John’s in Professional Studies (2022) and Business Administration (2024).
Case and Joyner played pivotal roles in the Bison’s 2024-25 season. Case handled program operations while coaching. Joyner brought veteran experience and tactical insight to the hardcourt. Their continuity will assist the Orange & Blue in the forthcoming campaign.
“Getting Case and Joyner back for year two helps with the continuity in their roles,” said Woodruff. “I am excited to see what they do with a year of experience under their belts and a full knowledge of what we want in our system. I can’t wait to get the whole staff here together in Lewisburg for June 9th when the team returns.”
Bucknell women’s basketball will announce its full 2025-26 roster and schedule in the upcoming weeks.
https://bucknellbison.com/news/2025/6/6/womens-basketball-hires-lauren-holden-as-associate-coach
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