Pulling off one of the biggest upsets in college basketball this season didn't help Colorado State coach Jen Warden keep her job.

Warden was fired Wednesday and replaced by assistant Kristen Holt, who signed a one-year deal.

"It just wasn't working and I didn't see much hope for improvement in the future, so I just thought it was time to get a fresh start," athletic director Paul Kowalczyk told The Associated Press.

Holt and Kowalczyk agreed they would evaluate the progress of the program after the 2008-09 season.

The Rams went 4-28 last season but upset host UNLV and 12th-rankedUtah at the Mountain West Conference tournament in Las Vegas before losing to New Mexico in the semifinals.

Their 60-52 shocker over Utah -- in which a 3-27 team beat a 27-3 team -- represented one of the biggest upsets in college basketball this season.

Warden, a former assistant coach under Ceal Barry at Colorado, took over the Rams' program on May 10, 2005, after three seasons at Boise State. She was just 21-69 in three seasons at CSU and 50-128 overall. The school bought out the final two years on her contract, Kowalczyk said.

Assistant coaches Dick Lien and Randie Wirt and director of basketball operations Matt Klein were retained.

Since taking over from Mark Driscoll in 2006, Kowalczyk has replaced both the men's and women's basketball coaches and longtime football coach Sonny Lubick.