EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette department of athletics will move in a new leadership direction for the women's basketball program. Kia Damon-Olson, who spent nine seasons as head coach, will not return. A national search for the Leopards' next leader has begun. 

"I want to thank coach Damon-Olson for her time on College Hill and her contributions to Lafayette athletics," said Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman. "We expect to have a strong candidate pool and secure a mentor who will continue to develop our student-athletes, move our program forward and compete for championships."

Damon-Olson took over the program in May 2017, collecting a 92-161 record on the Kirby Sports Center sidelines, including a 56-100 mark in Patriot League play and a 2-8 record in the Patriot League Tournament. The program's highwater mark came in 2019-20 when the team was 15-14 behind All-Patriot League First-Team selection Natalie Kucowski '21. Lafayette featured nine All-Patriot League selections (first, second or third team) and four all-rookie honorings from 2017-18 through 2025-26. In that time, the Leopards won one Patriot Player of the Year honor and two Defensive Player of the Year laurels (all Kucowski) along with Teresa Kiewiet being selected as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2025-26.