Julie Lenhart has a combined record of 396-178-1 from 1995-2007, which makes her the winningest coach in Red Dragon softball history. This past season, she became the 16th softball coach in Division III history to surpass 500 career wins, and her overall record stands at 516-255-1 in 18 campaigns. Her teams qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs three straight years from 1997-99 and 2003-05, as well as in 2007, including World Series appearances in 1998, 2003 and 2004.
In 1997, she earned both State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and East Region “Coach of the Year” honors after her squad finished 30-14 and earned the school’s first NCAA playoff spot since 1992. In 1998, the Red Dragons finished 37-13, captured their first SUNYAC crown since 1992 and earned their first trip to the NCAA Division III World Series since 1985 by winning the NCAA Northeast Regional. Cortland’s performance earned Lenhart and her staff the Northeast Region “Coaching Staff of the Year” honor by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).
In 1999, the Red Dragons finished 29-19 and played in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in Iowa. In 2000, Cortland posted a 27-18 record. The Red Dragons were SUNYAC regular-season co-champions and advanced to the SUNYAC tournament finals. In 2001, Cortland ended with a 28-17 overall record, including a 17-3 finish in conference play, and a second-place finish in the SUNYAC tournament. The Red Dragons posted a 34-11 record in 2002, surpassing the 25-win mark for the sixth straight year, and finished second at the SUNYAC tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
In 2003, Cortland fashioned a 42-8-1 record, establishing a school mark for wins in a season. The Red Dragons captured the SUNYAC title and posted a 3-0 record in their NCAA regional to advance to the World Series, where they finished tied for fifth nationally. The team’s accomplishments earned Lenhart and her staff a second NFCA Division III Northeast Region “Coaching Staff of the Year” award.
In 2004, the Red Dragons tied for seventh nationally after their second straight trip to the World Series and finished the season with a 37-9 record. During the season, Lenhart registered her 400th career win and guided Cortland to the SUNYAC regular-season title. For the third time overall and second season in a row, Lenhart and her staff received the NFCA Division III Northeast Region “Coaching Staff of the Year” award.
In 2005, Cortland won the SUNYAC regular-season and tournament titles to earn its third straight trip to the NCAA playoffs. The team finished the season 31-11, which included Lenhart’s 300th career win at Cortland. For the second time, she was named the SUNYAC “Coach of the Year.”
Lenhart guided the team to a 34-11 record and a runner-up finish in the conference regular season and tournament in 2006. This past season, the Red Dragons claimed both the SUNYAC regular-season and tournament titles, which included the school’s first-ever perfect 20-0 mark in league play. Cortland finished the season with a 38-10 record, helping earn Lenhart her third SUNYAC “Coach of the Year” honor.
Lenhart came to Cortland from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where her teams were a combined 120-77 in five seasons. She was named the Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) “Coach of the Year” in both 1990 and 1992, her team winning a league title in the latter season.
A native of Findlay, Ohio, Lenhart is a 1980 graduate of Ohio Northern University. A Dean’s List student, she lettered in basketball, softball and volleyball. She is a member of the ONU Athletic Hall of Fame. She has also taught and coached at the North Central Schools in Pioneer, Ohio, and at Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio.
