5 out sapphic women's basketball coaches aiming for March Madness glory

Today marks the first day of March Madness, and women’s college basketball teams across the country are chomping at the bit to be crowned the winner of the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament.

And helping the talents women who are ready to play their hearts out are coaches with a palpable love for the game.

The majority of the women’s college basketball coaches are women, but only a handful are LGBTQ+ and living out and proud. But who are these queer trailblazers hoping to take home big wins for their universities? And if you don't know anything about March Madness, we've got you covered too!

Jan Jensen — Head coach, University of Iowa

Jan Jensen started her basketball career leading Drake University’s women’s basketball team in scoring from 1990 to 1991 before going on to play professional basketball in Europe. Her coaching journey began when she became Iowa’s associate head coach in 2004, later playing a key role in recruiting star player Caitlin Clark. Then, 20 years later, she took over for Lisa Bluder as the Iowa women’s basketball head coach. Jensen is married to wife Julie Fitzpatrick with whom she shares two children.

Raina Harmon — Assistant coach, University of Iowa

Raina Harmon played basketball for Central Michigan before spending five seasons as the assistant coach for the same team. Then she was hired as the assistant coach at the University of Iowa, who have since been to the NCAA Tournament five times. Now the wife and mother is working under fellow LGBTQ+ coach Jan Jensen.

Carla Berube — Head coach, Princeton

Princeton head coach Carla Berube was a winner right from the start. She won two state titles when she played basketball in high school, she went on to set records while playing at the University of Connecticut and was a member of the New England Blizzards before the women’s basketball league it was a part of disbanded.

She went on to become the assistant coach for Providence College before landing a head coaching job with Tuft’s University. Now, she's in her sixth year as the head coach for Princeton where she was named Ivy League Coach of the Year after her very first year with the university.

Karen Aston — Head coach, University of Texas San Antonio

Out lesbian coach Karen Aston started out playing for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before stepping off the court and behind a clipboard. She worked as associate coach for Baylor before landing her first head coaching position with UNC Charlotte. She then went on to the head coach at the University of North Texas, and has now been with the University of Texas San Antonio since 2021 where she has been able to lead the Roadrunners to an impressive 25-3 record.

Kaitlynn Fratz — Assistant coach, University of Maryland

As a college basketball star Kaitlynn Fratz led the California University of Pennsylvania to the 2015 Division II NCAA championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Fratz has continued her winning streak at the University of Maryland, where she is entering her seventh season as as full-time assistant coach for the University of Maryland. She’s helped the team take home the Big Ten regular season titles in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and the Big Ten Tournament titles in 2020 and 2021.