Former Penn women's basketball assistant coach Bernadette Laukaitis moves to Holy Family

After more than 10 years as an assistant coach for Penn women’s basketball, Bernadette Laukaitis will take on the role of head coach at Holy Family University, her alma mater. 

During her time at Penn, Laukaitis helped lead the Quakers to great success, including six consecutive seasons with over 20 wins. Laukaitis was also involved in coaching Penn to four Ivy League regular-season championships, an Ivy League Tournament championship, two Big 5 titles, and three trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Current Penn head coach Mike McLaughlin was Laukaitis’ coach at Holy Family. After graduating, Laukaitis served on the coaching staff for Holy Family under McLaughlin from 2000-2008. The two began working at Penn at the same time in 2009, and have been coaching together over the past decade.

“It has been such an honor to coach at the University of Pennsylvania these past 10 years,” Laukaitis wrote in a Penn Athletics statement. “Working with extraordinary coaches and players, whom I consider family, my experiences have positively prepared me for this next chapter in my basketball coaching journey. Coach McLaughlin, in particular, recruited me and coached me at Holy Family, and it has been a privilege to work alongside him on the bench; he has been an integral part of my life as a role model, mentor and friend.” 

As a player at Holy Family, Laukaitis was a point guard and three-year team captain. The program was ranked in the top 25 during all four of her seasons there, and even achieved a No. 1 ranking in 1998. 

“I am certainly excited for my next challenge, taking over at my alma mater, but I know great success will continue at Penn and I look forward to being the Quakers' biggest fan,” Laukaitis said.