Michelle Lenard enters her 14th year as the Head Coach of the Women’s Soccer team at Dallas Baptist University. A four-time Conference Coach of the Year and the 2015 South Central Region Coach of the Year, Lenard has guided the Patriots to the NCAA postseason eight times, including a South Central Regional title and a trip to the Elite Eight in 2015.
In 13 seasons at the helm, Lenard has amassed a career record of 180-73-26 while leading DBU to 12 conference championships including six regular-season titles and six conference tournament championships. Most recently, the Patriots are one of just eight teams in the nation to advance to the NCAA postseason each of the last six years and DBU’s 98 wins are the seventh-most in the nation since the 2014 season.
During Lenard’s coaching tenure at DBU, the Patriots have produced nine All-Americans and 91 players have been recognized as All-Conference performers.
ALL-AMERICANS DURING LENARD’S TENURE
Ashley Cox (2015)
Andrea Hutchins (2012)
Hope Koym (2016)
Emilie MacDonald (2015)
Abigail Olmos (2017)
Danielle Presley (2012)
Maggie Scales (2019)
Lea Sedwick (2012 & 2014)
CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS DURING LENARD’S TENURE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
2011 - Lea Sedwick (Heartland Conference)
2017 - Abigail Olmos (Heartland Conference)
2019 - Maggie Scales (Lone Star Conference)
2020 - Ashley Merrill (Lone Star Conference)
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
2012 - Danielle Presley (Heartland Conference)
2013 - Danielle Presley (Heartland Conference)
2015 - Ashley Cox (Heartland Conference)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
2011 - Andrea Hutchins (Heartland Conference)
2012 - Jake Cox (Heartland Conference)
2013 - Emilie MacDonald (Heartland Conference)
2014 - Lea Sedwick (Heartland Conference)
2015 - Emilie MacDonald (Heartland Conference)
2018 - Maggie Scales (Heartland Conference)
2019 - Maggie Scales (Lone Star Conference)
2020 - Blythe Obar (Lone Star Conference)
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR:
2019 - Hope Koym (Lone Star Conference)
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
2011 - Lea Sedwick (Heartland Conference)
2012 - Lindsey Eccles (Heartland Conference)
2020 - Marit Auee (Lone Star Conference)
YEAR-BY-YEAR
In a 2020 season marked by the COVID-19 pandemic that saw the NCAA cancel the fall championships, DBU won their second consecutive Lone Star Conference regular-season title after posting a 5-0-1 record in conference play. Since joining the Lone Star in 2019, DBU has remained undefeated in conference play, boasting a record of 17-0-2 in their first two years in the LSC.
The 2020 regular-season was highlighted with a road win over NCAA Division I foe LSU on March 12. After falling behind 1-0 through the first 60 minutes, the Patriots rallied to score a pair of goals and triumphed over the Tigers with a 2-1 win in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Following their LSC regular-season title, DBU entered the Lone Star Conference Tournament as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. After wins over Midwestern State and West Texas A&M, the Patriots dropped their only match of the season in a 2-1 loss in overtime in the the championship to then-ranked No. 12 Angelo State. At season’s end, DBU matched the program’s highest end of season ranking, finishing at No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
In the Patriots’ first season in the Lone Star Conference in 2019, DBU posted the school’s first-ever undefeated season, winning both the LSC regular-season and tournament titles. Lenard’s squad secured the No. 2 seed in the South Central Regional, marking their sixth consecutive trip to the postseason, and hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Following the 2019 season, Lenard was named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year. DBU finished the year with a 17-1-3 record and ranked No. 10 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll.
DBU made their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 after winning the Heartland Conference Tournament and securing the league's automatic bid. The Patriots went on to defeat a pair of nationally ranked teams in No. 25 Westminster and No. 4 Colorado School of Mines en route to a trip to the South Central Regional Final.
The 2017 season saw Lenard and the Patriots clinch the Heartland Conference regular-season and tournament titles, lifting DBU to their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Patriots also earned the No. 1 seed in the South Central Regional and hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
In 2016, DBU won the Heartland Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament where they defeated Colorado State-Pueblo in the first round.
The 2015 season was a banner year for the Patriots as Lenard led DBU to both the regular-season and tournament titles in the Heartland Conference. The Patriots would host the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, where they clinched the regional title and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Following the 2015 season, Lenard was recognized as the Heartland Coach of the Year, South Central Region Coach of the Year and was honored by the NCCAA with the Frank Jewel Award. The Patriots capped off the 2015 season with the program’s highest ranking in school history, checking in at No. 7 in the final NSCAA national poll.
In 2014, Lenard guided the Patriots to a 14-5-1 record and their third trip to the NCAA postseason in the last four years, as DBU advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament in Golden, Colorado. DBU also finished as the runner-up in both the Heartland Conference regular season and the Heartland Conference Tournament Championship.
In 2013, her team finished with an overall record of 17-7-1 and boasted an 8-1 mark in conference play. After narrowly missing advancing to the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row, the Lady Patriots advanced to the NCCAA Regional and National Championships. Following a very successful post-season run with five consecutive wins, scoring twelve goals, and holding the opponents scoreless, the Lady Patriots eventually fell in overtime of the NCCAA National Championship Game to Azusa Pacific. The team posted a program-best 16 shutouts over the season.
The 2012 season proved to be another record-setting year for the Patriots, as DBU captured their second consecutive Heartland Conference Championship as well as their first Heartland Conference Tournament title. The team received an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament where they were the No. 1 seed in the South Central Region and hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The team finished the season with a historic 18-3 record and received a post season ranking of No. 17 in the country.
In 2011, Lenard led DBU to their first-ever Heartland Conference Championship and the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament, where the Patriots advanced to the round of 16. DBU finished the season with a 16-6-1 record and a postseason ranking of No. 15 in the nation. Lenard was also named the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year for the first time in her career.
DBU’S SEASON RECORDS UNDER LENARD
2008: 9-9-1
2009: 10-12-2 (NCCAA Nationals)
2010: 12-11-1 (NCCAA Nationals)
2011: 16-6-1 (NCAA Regional Finalists - Sweet 16)
2012: 18-3-0 (NCAA Regional)
2013: 17-7-1 (NCCAA Nationals)
2014: 14-5-1 (NCAA Regional)
2015: 15-4-3 (NCAA Regional Champions - Elite 8)
2016: 12-5-5 (NCAA Regional)
2017: 15-4-2 (NCAA Regional)
2018: 13-5-5 (NCAA Regional)
2019: 17-1-3 (NCAA Regional Finalists - Sweet 16)
2020: 12-1-1 *NCAA Fall Championships Canceled
TOTAL: 180-73-26
CONFERENCE TITLES UNDER LENARD
2011: Heartland Conference Regular-Season
2012: Heartland Conference Regular-Season
2012: Heartland Conference Tournament
2015: Heartland Conference Regular-Season
2015: Heartland Conference Tournament
2016: Heartland Conference Tournament
2017: Heartland Conference Regular-Season
2017: Heartland Conference Tournament
2018: Heartland Conference Tournament
2019: Lone Star Conference Regular-Season
2019: Lone Star Conference Tournament
2020: Lone Star Conference Regular-Season
Lenard arrived at DBU in 2008 from the University of North Texas, where she served as an Assistant Coach from 2004-2006. While Lenard was an assistant at UNT, the Mean Green won the Sunbelt Championship and Sunbelt Tournament Championship in 2004 and 2005, while also receiving NCAA Division I National Tournament berths each year. Before starting her coaching stint at UNT, Lenard served as the Assistant Coach for the Women’s Soccer Team at Texas Woman’s University from 2003-2004.
Lenard, who is originally from Lubbock, Texas, graduated with a Masters of Education in Kinesiology from DBU in 2011 and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from UNT in 2003. Lenard played center midfield on the UNT Mean Green Women’s Soccer Team from 1999-2002. During her playing career, UNT won the 2001 Sunbelt Conference Championship and Lenard was named to the Sunbelt All-Conference Team, President’s List, Dean’s List, and Sunbelt All-Academic Team. Lenard played semi-pro soccer for the Ft. Collins Force in 2002 and the Everton FC America in 2005 and holds an NSCAA Advanced National Coaching Diploma.
Michelle and her husband, Len E., were married in 2003 and they currently reside in Grapevine, Texas, with their sons, Keaton and Wyatt. The Lenard’s attend Fellowship of the Parks Church in Grapevine.
