Basketball Coaching Staff

Coach Elizabeth “Bits” Patton begins her third season leading the Golden West College women’s basketball program.  In 2002-03, her first season as coach of the Rustlers, her squad finished the year with an overall record of 13-16, and 4-10 in the Orange Empire Conference. 

The former Kodak All-American helped lead GWC to two back-to-back state titles in 1990 and ’91.  Along with her All-American honors in 1991, Patton was also named Co-Player of the Year and selected MVP of the All-State team. 

For her career, Patton ranks seventh as the all-time leading scorer in the program’s history with 987 points, while holding the school’s single game assist record with 22 in 1990 vs. Compton.  The former standout guard is also second in career assists with 551, and holds the second highest season total with 292.   After leaving the Rustlers, she continued her playing career for one season at the University of Hawaii before moving on to Cal Poly Pomona where she received CCCA first team All-Conference honors.

On the coaching front, Patton spent her first five years as an assistant at Cal State Polytechnic University.  In May of 1999, she moved on to become an assistant coach with UC Irvine before making the return to GWC.

In addition to the two titles won by Patton and the Lady Rustlers in 1990 and 1991, the program picked up its first state championship in 1979.  GWC also produced Southern California titles in 1987 and 1988.