University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Lyndsey Oates Signs 5-Year Contract Extension with the Bears
6/10/2022 1:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
GREELEY, Colo.- Head Volleyball Coach Lyndsey Oates will remain with the Bears for an additional five seasons after the University of Northern Colorado Board of Trustees approved a contract extension on Friday.
During her 17-year tenure as head coach, Oates has racked up numerous impressive accolades, keeping UNC as the gold standard in the Big Sky Conference and the Rocky Mountain Region.
"We are thrilled and fortunate that Coach Oates will be leading our volleyball program well into the future. Under her direction, the program has seen tremendous success athletically and academically," Director of Athletics Darren Dunn said. "Coach Oates is a leader not only for our volleyball program, but in the Big Sky Conference, the athletic department, and the community. She is truly deserving of this contract extension and I am so appreciative of her commitment to UNC."
In the last three seasons alone, the program has had 17 Academic All-Big Sky honorees and 10 All-Big Sky performers under Oates' watch. In fact, nine of the 10 All-Big Sky performers were selected to the First Team.
She has also led the Bears to two Big Sky regular-season championships and two Big Sky Tournament championships in 2019 and 2021. The 2019 season also earned her Big Sky Coach of the Year Honors for the fourth time in her career.
Under her leadership, Oates has now guided Northern Colorado to a total of four Big Sky regular-season titles and six conference tournament titles since joining the Big Sky in 2006.
With Oates at the helm, UNC has advanced to the Big Sky Championship match for each of the last three seasons and has qualified for the Big Sky Tournament for a conference record 16 consecutive years. Since Northern Colorado entered the Big Sky in 2006, Oates and her team have played in a total of eight Big Sky title games, another unequaled feat by the rest of the conference.
She has also coached a number of standout student-athletes during her time in Greeley. Since 2019, she's helped Daisy Schultz earn the 2019 Big Sky regular-season MVP, Rachel Hickman grab the 2020 Newcomer of the Year honor, Kailey Jo Ince to AVCA All-Region and Makenzie Harris to the 2021 Tournament MVP.
Just last season, Oates became only the second coach in program history to surpass 300 career wins.
Not only has she proven her coaching ability on the court, but also her dedication to student-athlete success in the classroom. The program has earned AVCA All-Academic honors for 10 straight years and is looking to secure the honor for an 11th consecutive year this summer.
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
