Holy Family University Women's Basketball

Alexander joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach ahead of the 2023-24 season. HFU has advanced to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament Semifinals in each of her first two years, highlighted by capturing  its first CACC Championship in a decade in 2025 to earn a berth to its first NCAA Tournament since 2016. In the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers would win two games to advance to the East Region Final (Sweet 16) for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2012.   Alexander came to Holy Family after spending eight years at fellow CACC member Chestnut Hill College, her alma mater, including the previous four as the Griffins’ head assistant.    Chestnut Hill qualified for the CACC Tournament in each of her three seasons as head assistant (the 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID), accumulating a 39-15 record in league play.    The Griffins enjoyed their best-ever season in 2021-22, setting a program record with 24 wins, recording their first-ever CACC Tournament victory and advancing to the program’s first NCAA Tournament.    Upon joining CHC in 2015-16, Alexander’s responsibilities included but were not limited to post-player development, recruiting and scouting. A total of three players earned CACC Rookie of the Year honors during her tenure.    The Huntingdon Valley, Pa. native was a 1,000-pointer scorer at Lower Moreland High School, where she began her coaching career as an assistant for two seasons. During those two years, the program won the Bicentennial Athletic League, qualified for the District 1 Tournament twice and had a total of five student-athletes earn All-League accolades.    Alexander was one of the top players in CHC history, winning Team MVP as a freshman and earning All-CACC honors three times as she became one of just three Griffins to record over 1,000 points and 600 rebounds.   She averaged double figures in each of her four seasons and ranks in the top nine of the program’s history in points (1,116), rebounds (603), assists (157) and steals (109), after making 88 starts in 100 appearances.   Alexander graduated from Chestnut Hill in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary/special education, before earning her master’s degree in education from CHC the following year.    She currently resides in Philadelphia and is special education teacher in The School District of Philadelphia.

Nichols spent three years as an assistant coach at Holy Family from 2019-22 before returning to his alma mater ahead of the 2023-24 season. HFU has reached the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Semifinals three times in his four seasons as an assistant, including the championship game in both 2020 and 2025.    Holy Family would go on to capture its first CACC Championship in a decade in 2025 to earn a berth to its first NCAA Tournament since 2016. In the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers would win two games to advance to the East Region Final (Sweet 16) for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2012. Nichols brought over 17 years of coaching experience to the HFU, most notably as the head coach of the PA Renegades Basketball Club from 2009-2015. While there he coached a group of highly motivated and successful boys basketball players from various high schools in the Philadelphia Catholic League, Inter-Ac and Suburban Leagues, assisting them with the NCAA recruiting process as he established communications with Division I, II and III coaches.   Nichols was previously the junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at Northeast Catholic High School from 1998-2001, where he coached five All-Catholic players and advanced to the 2000 Catholic League Northern Division Semifinals.    He began his coaching career at Holy Family as an assistant on the men’s staff in 1997-98.     Nichols graduated from HFU in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He was a four-year member of the men's basketball team, serving as team captain from 1995-1997 and winning the Philadelphia Area Small College Association Sam Cozen Award in 1997. During his playing career, the Tigers notably won the 1995 NAIA Northeast Region Championship to advance to the NAIA National Tournament.  

Heston is in her second stint as an assistant coach season at her alma mater, returning ahead of the 2024-25 season after taking a year off. She had previously spent the previous four seasons on the staff from 2019-20 through 2022-23.  During her time as an assistant HFU has advanced to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament Semifinals three times, including the championship game in both 2020 and 2025.    Holy Family would go on to capture its first CACC Championship in a decade in 2025 to earn a berth to its first NCAA Tournament since 2016. In the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers would win two games to advance to the East Region Final (Sweet 16) for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2012. Heston returned to HFU after spending two seasons at Division I Lehigh University, where she served as the director of basketball operations, assistant to the director of recruiting and coordinator of team travel. While at Lehigh, she was responsible for all aspects of day-to-day operations as well as team travel. In addition, she helped manage alumnae relationships with current players and directed the women's basketball Little Dribblers' Club.    Prior to joining Lehigh, Heston spent two seasons as an assistant head coach at Division III Penn State Abington, where she was named the interim head coach in October of 2015.    Heston was a four-year member of the women's basketball team at Holy Family, totaling 516 points and 424 rebounds in 101 games from 2010-2014. She was a part of two CACC Championship teams and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament all four years. She graduated from Holy Family in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, before going on to earn her master’s degree in educational leadership from Lehigh in 2018.

Quick Facts Years at HFU: Seventh Year | 2019-Present Record at HFU (Five Seasons): 99-50 (.664) Career Overall Record (2009 at Cabrini): 122-55 (.689) Career CACC Record: 59-27 (.686) CACC Tournament Appearances: 4 CACC Tournament Record: 7-3 (.700) CACC Tournament Championships: 1 (2025) NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (2009 at Cabrini and 2025) NCAA Tournament Record: 2-2 All-CACC Selections: 10 CACC Rookies of the Year: 2 (Moe Moore (2019-20) and Skyler Searfoss (2022-23)) CACC All-Academic Selections: 30 On May 15, 2019, Laukaitis '00 became the sixth head women's basketball coach in program history. She added the title of assistant athletic director in July 2023.    HFU has advanced to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament Semifinals in five of her first six seasons, including a trip the championship game in both 2020 and 2025.  Holy Family would capture its first CACC Championship in a decade in 2025 to earn a berth to its first NCAA Tournament since 2016. In the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers would win two games to advance to the East Region Final (Sweet 16) for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2012.    Laukaitis came back to HFU after spending 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Division I University of Pennsylvania, where she assisted with all aspects of the program, including recruitment, on-the-court coaching at individual workouts/practices and scouting opponents while establishing game strategy.   She was part of four Ivy League Championships and two Big 5 titles at Penn, with the Quakers appearing in three NCAA Tournaments and two WNIT Tournaments. She coached three Ivy League Players of the Year, four Ivy League Defensive Players of the Year and four Ivy League Rookies of the Year. 23 student-athletes earned All-Ivy honors and 15 were selected All-Philadelphia Big 5.   Prior to Penn, Laukaitis spent the 2008-09 season as head coach at Division III Cabrini College, leading the Cavaliers to the 2009 CSAC Championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. Cabrini finished 23-5 overall and 15-1 in conference play, the Cavaliers’ most wins since the 1994-95 season.   Her coaching career began at Holy Family as an assistant coach, with Laukaitis helping lead the Tigers to five Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) titles in eight seasons. HFU advanced to the postseason every year, including three NAIA Tournaments and the program’s first five NCAA Tournaments. During those eight seasons the Tigers went 234-27, including a 32-1 mark in 2007-08 when the team finished No. 4 nationally.   Laukaitis graduated from Holy Family with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 2000. A three-year team captain, she ranks fifth in program history with 247 steals and ninth with 372 assists.    Bernadette Laukaitis' Year-By-Year Coaching Record   Year School Overall CACC CACC Tournament NCAA Tournament Notes 2008-09 Cabrini 23-5 - - 0-1 CSAC Champions 2019-20 Holy Family 18-11 14-5 2-1 - CACC Championship Game 2020-21 Holy Family - - - - Season Canceled Due to COVID 2021-22 Holy Family 14-13 9-9 - - 2022-23 Holy Family 20-10 13-4 1-1 - CACC Tournament Semifinals 2023-24 Holy Family 21-9 10-6 1-1 - CACC Tournament Semifinals 2024-25 Holy Family 26-7 13-3 3-0 2-1 CACC Tournament Champion NCAA Division II East Region Final Overall - 122-55 (.689) 59-27 (.686) 7-3 (.700) 2-2 (.500)