Women's Basketball
Head Coach-Women's Basketball
Denise "Gooch" Cardenas
Head Basketball Coach
denise.cardenas@centralaz.edu
Phone: (520) 494-5302
Coach Gooch begins her third year as Head Coach at CAC after spending five seasons as an assistant under 36 year veteran coach Lin Laursen. In her first year as head coach, the Vaqueras were perfect and won the NJCAA National Championship. In her first year as an assistant for Laursen, the Vaqueras finished 3rd in the Nation with a season record of 33-3. In her second season Gooch helped the Vaqueras to their 3rd NJCAA National Championship with a record of 35-1. Following the National Championship season, the Vaqueras finished 3rd followed by two 2nd
As a Central Alum, she is no stranger to the tradition and expectations of this program. Gooch played for Central in 1997-1999 where she competed for two National Championship teams in basketball and softball. Following her 2 years at CAC she played for the University of Missouri and Cal State University-Northridge where she earned a B.A. in Communications in 2002. In 2004 she earned her M.Ed. in Counseling/Human Relations from Northern Arizona University.
Coach Gooch has won Championships both as an athlete and a coach and will continue the tradition here at Central.
