The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has selected Katie Novak-Lenoir to take over the UMHB women’s basketball program, the university announced Wednesday.
Novak-Lenoir comes to UMHB after a one-year stint at NCAA Division II Hawai’i Pacific University. In her first season with the Sharks, she led her team to a quarterfinal finish in the PacWest Conference Tournament with 12 wins in league play. Her team also earned the program’s highest-ever grade-point average (3.756) and recorded a 100% graduation rate of the senior class. Novak-Lenoir also coached the PacWest Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year, Abby Spurgin, who was a two-time all-American last season.
Prior to HPU, Novak-Lenoir served as the head women’s basketball coach at American Southwest Conference affiliate Sul Ross State University for five seasons. Novak-Lenoir averaged more wins per season than any other coach in Lobo Women’s Basketball history and was named ASC West Division Coach of the Year in 2021. Her teams advanced to two ASC postseason tournaments and won the program’s first win in a championship tournament with a semifinal appearance in 2021. Novak-Lenoir’s rosters also included 12 all-conference athletes, 14 academic all-ASC recipients, two ASC Newcomers of the Year, one ASC Player of the Year and one WBCA All-America selection. She also led the Lobos to a 3.3 or higher GPA for five consecutive years and graduated 100% of her senior classes. In addition to coaching women’s basketball, she also served as Senior Woman Administrator and Student Athlete-Advisory Committee sponsor at SRSU.
Novak-Lenior opened her collegiate career as head assistant coach and strength coach at Our Lady of the Lake University. She coached three all-Americans and helped her team to a national number one ranking during her three seasons with the Saints.
“I am truly honored to be at the helm of such a historic program and to join the championship culture of UMHB,” Novak-Lenoir said. “I want to thank Dr. Randy O’Rear, Dr. Steve Theodore, Dr. Mickey Kerr, and Randy Mann for the opportunity to lead this stellar group of young women on and off the court. There is an abundance of talented returning players, and I am looking forward to working with them to achieve our goals this coming season. The passion and dedication every UMHB faculty, student and staff member has for their school is unparalleled, and I am committed to upholding the Cru legacy. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to lead and coach in a strong Christian environment, and my family and I could not be more excited to join the community!”
Novak-Lenoir was a starter and team captain for two seasons of women’s basketball at Saint Joseph’s College before transferring to University of Incarnate Word, serving as team captain for two seasons and playing her final year in the inaugural Division I class for the Cardinals. She received a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from Saint Joseph’s and a Master’s of Science in Sport Management from Incarnate Word.
“Coach Katie Novak-Lenoir is exactly who we were looking for as our next head coach for women’s basketball,” Vice President for Athletics Mickey Kerr said. “She has experience successfully recruiting and coaching NCAA DIII athletes, coaching in the American Southwest Conference and preparing her teams for success. She has a history of improving every program she has led and we are excited to see what she and her teams accomplish at UMHB.”
Novak-Lenoir will officially take over the reins on May 1st. She and her husband, William, have two children, Walker and Arlis.
