Record: 25-9 Home: 14-2 Away: 6-3 Neutral: 5-4 TranSouth: 13-3
2008-09 Women's Basketball Coaches
Dale Neal - Head Coach
Coach
Dale Neal begins his 39th year of coaching and his 15th season at the
helm of the Lady Lion basketball program, having compiled a record of
365-126 and a winning percentage of .743 at FHU.
The Lady
Lion basketball program instantly turned around when Neal came to
Freed-Hardeman. In his first season in 1995, the Lady Lions
finished a then school-record 21-9. Two years later, the team
set a new record by winning 26 games and making the school's first ever
appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. In 1999, the Lady Lions
again won 26 games and reached the Fab Four at the national
tournament. Under Neal's direction, the Lady Lions reached the Elite 8
at the national tournament and won the TranSouth Conference
Championship each post-season from 2004-2006. In 2006, Neal's team
finished with the best record in school history at 32-3, making it the
fourth consecutive year his team had won 30 or more games. He again guided the Lady Lions to the Fab Four in 2008 as the team won 29 games.
Coach Neal has been named the TranSouth Conference Coach of the Year
four times, from 2003-06.
Neal holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harding University ('69) and
a Master of Physical Education degree from the University of Nebraska
('80). He coached the men's basketball team at York College in Nebraska
for 11 years, where his teams combined record was 234-96 (.709), before
coming to FHU. Neal received seven coach of the year awards, including
a NJCAA Region IX Coach of the Year award, while at York.
Neal
and his wife, Kathy, have four children and 14 grandchildren.
Lain Hinson - Assistant Coach
Meredith McLemore - Grad Assistant
Chase Helton - Student Assistant
Nicole Osment - Student Assistant
Alex Woodward - Student Assistant
Kenzie Ziegler - Student Assistant
