Friday, December 31, 2021
ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The Central Washington University Department of Athletics is excited to announce Lindsey Lee as the new head women's soccer coach.
"There were a lot of things that we were looking for when selecting the new leader of our soccer program and I could not be more excited to have Coach Lee taking the reins," Director of Athletics Dr. Dennis Francois said. "First and foremost, she is a person of high character and integrity, and is committed to embracing our department's values as she develops a team culture of academic and athletic excellence."
Lee spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach at Division I Cal Poly, where she mentored the top two goalkeepers in school history for career saves.
"I'm super excited about the opportunity," Lee said. "I'm grateful and honored to be considered. Dennis, (Deputy Director of Athletics) Gary (Hyatt), and (Assoc. AD/Compliance) Laura (Dahlby Nicolai) have been awesome through this entire process, and I am excited to join the Wildcat family.
"Part of my decision in coming to Central is how much care and energy went into the program. That was the type of environment I was looking for as I made the next step in my career. It's something I'm really excited to be a part of."
Outside the college ranks, Lee is a head coach and director of goalkeeping for the Central Coast United organization. She serves as head coach for the U13 and U9, as well as serving as overseeing the goalkeeper training for teams from U8-U18. Lee began her stint with Central Coast United in 2014.
"I want to thank Cal Poly and head coach Alex Crozier," Lee said. "I'm grateful for the support of Alex and the entire department. He has taught me a lot and has been extremely supportive this move for me."
As a player, Lee was a goalkeeper for Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. She finished her senior season at Westmont as a first-team All-American, anchoring the Warriors during their run to the 2013 NAIA National Championship match in Alabama.
It led to her winning the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table co-Soccer Player of the Year Award in April 2014. As a senior, when she was named the co-Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Lee finished with a 0.56 GAA (No. 2 in school history and second-best in the country).
"Coach Lee is also a competitor, achieving All-America honors as a student-athlete and developing two of the most successful goalies in the nation during her eight years at Cal Poly," Francois added. "Her familiarity with the West in the recruiting game and an eye for the level of talent that we will need in order to consistently compete for GNAC championships and national prominence are critical as we rebuild Wildcat soccer."
In Westmont's two postseason games that came down to penalties, she blocked a combined four out of 11 attempts as the Warriors advanced each time. Lee, a three-time All-GSAC honoree from Pleasanton, California, finished her career with 61 starts between the posts, a school record.
After earning her degree in History with a focus in Secondary Education from Westmont in 2013, Lee added her Master's in History at Cal Poly in 2017.
"I can't be more grateful for the support of my family and my support system, especially my husband Austin and son Boston, as I take the next step in my career and move to a new state," Lee added.