Women's Coaches
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Sara Lee
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In 2007-08, Sara Lee enters her 19th season as Denison's head women's basketball coach.
The last three seasons of women's basketball at Denison have been the best in the history of the program. Last year the Big Red captured their third consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship and advanced to their third straight NCAA Division III Tournament where they defeated defending national champion, Hope College, 82-66 in the first round before falling to eventual national champ, DePauw, in the second-round. Denison's 25 victories were a new school single-season record and their 15-game winning streak which spanned over eight weeks during the season, was also a new high. Over the last three seasons Denison women's basketball has won two NCAA tournament contests, gone 67-21 (.761) and has posted a 38-10 record in conference play.
Lee is Denison's all-time leader in coaching
victories with a career mark of 251-208 since the 1989-1990 season. For
the first time since her arrival in Granville 19 years ago Lee will not
be roaming the sidelines as the head volleyball coach for the Big Red.
She stepped down after recording 395 career victories leading the DU
spikers. She is the program's all-time leader in wins and holds a .618 career winning percentage as the head volleyball coach.
In 1989 Lee came to Denison from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, where she was the head coach of women's volleyball, basketball and softball for two years. While at Lake Erie, she also served as the coordinator of women's athletics, an instructor of physical education, a residence hall director and an academic advisor.
A native of Moorhead, Minn., Lee enrolled at Moorhead State University after graduating from high school in 1982. She earned her B.S. in physical education from Moorhead State in 1986. Lee went on to earn an M.A. in athletic administration from Kent State in 1987.
While at Moorhead State, Lee's athletic career was highlighted by several outstanding accomplishments. She was a four-year letter winner in each of three sports: volleyball, basketball and softball. In volleyball, Lee earned all-conference and all-district recognition her junior and senior years, and was twice named as her team's most valuable player. Her senior year, Lee served as a basketball captain, and she was an all-district selection in softball.
Most recently, Coach Lee has been inducted into the Moorhead State University Athletic Hall of Fame for her distinguished accomplishments and career both on and off the playing field.
Lee's honors as an undergraduate include the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Scholarship which is awarded annually by NAIA athletic directors. Lee was also honored as the recipient of the Moorhead State Student-Athlete Award her senior year. At Kent, Lee was selected for a graduate assistantship in physical education.
In 20 years as a head volleyball coach (18 at Denison, two at Lake Erie) Lee posted a record of 408-264 (.607) which ranks her among Division III's all-time leaders in coaching victories. The team's 31 victories in 1993 set a new school record which still stands. The program has also enjoyed nine consecutive winning seasons.
In addition to her coaching duties, Lee is an associate professor in Denison's department of athletics, physical education and recreation, and is an assistant to DU's director of athletics.