Laura Golden

Unknown 

1995-1981

Photography 

Donor/provenance Unknown 

Heritage Hall, El Pomar, Colorado Springs, CO 

Written by Laura Strenk, Class of ‘25

This photograph portrays CC women’s basketball coach Laura Golden. With little help, Laura built and coached the volleyball, basketball, field hockey, and softball programs during her first year at Colorado College. Golden and the team created opportunities for women to speak out and create change. Her teams felt heard and seen on and off the court. 

How should we honor her legacy?

This black and white photograph is a moment in time between a coach and her players. It is a team huddle in which there is a jumble of outstretched hands, serious sentiment, but also excitement, focus and determination. The coach in the center is Laura Golden or “the Silver Fox,” a leader that started Colorado College women’s athletics. Title IX was passed on June 23, 1972. However, Colorado College began women’s sports with an air of controversy. Many of the women that had played sports in high school were frustrated with CC and wanted to jumpstart women’s intercollegiate sports at Colorado College. That year women athletes and outsiders held a sit-in in President Lloyd Worner’s office to petition for locker rooms in El Pomar and for women’s sports to finally commence. These women opened a gateway for a leader that would set the stage for women’s sports at Colorado College. 

Shortly after the sit-in, President Worner hired Laura Golden, and her journey of starting intercollegiate women’s teams for CC began. Laura Golden built the volleyball, basketball, field hockey, and softball programs during her first year at Colorado College. She coached all of the teams during her first year. She recruited anyone and everyone on the campus of Colorado College. She would go from dorm to dorm putting up posters about tryouts. During her first year, she was able to recruit thirteen women to play on the women’s basketball team. Golden gathered women of all talent levels and was nothing but “gracious and patient”, said Linda Johnson, a CCWBB 78’ alum. Since Golden’s real passion was coaching basketball, she recruited coaches for the other women’s team the following year. 

After year one, the team only got better. Colorado College women’s basketball team was on the rise. In their second season (1976-1977), the team went 20-4, which remains the highest winning record in a season for women’s basketball. The basketball team also went to the small college National Tournament at Pomona College in California. Golden not only liked to win, but liked to treat her players with respect and dignity. Golden prearranged everything: her players had a locker room, uniforms, transportation, and planned meals. Although it sounds basic, many women’s teams at that time and at Colorado College did not have that level of organization, so they did not see as many opportunities for travel. 

Golden and the team created opportunities for women to speak out and create change. Her teams felt heard and seen on and off the court. Laura built values in the program that we still use today. Former player Michelle Giarratano CCWBB ‘78 (photo below) said, “Laura taught hard work and perseverance and instilled being part of a team is something bigger than you.” Linda Johnson CCWBB ‘78 (photo below) also stated, “Laura taught me not to take myself too seriously. Her class and mentorship had a profound impact on me as a woman.” She did not just go through the motions of being a coach, she was a role model to her team. She coached because she was truly passionate about the game. As Linda and Michelle reminisce on memories of her, they recall that she would just laugh and have so much fun with the team. During her six years at Colorado College, she led her teams to 101 wins and 39 losses, a 61% winning record, and two successful AIAW Region Championships in 1977 and 1981.