It is official! After a successful 2015 season, interim head coach has been removed from the title line of Chris Hennessey. He is now the head coach of the Lee University women’s soccer team.
The announcement came from Lee University President Dr. Paul Conn and Athletic Director Larry Carpenter on Tuesday afternoon. Hennessey replaced former head coach Matt Yelton, who resigned his position this past summer. He served as Yelton’s assistant for two seasons and was immediately named the interim coach.
Conn said: “Chris did a wonderful job with the team this year. I believe he has earned the right to lead this team on a permanent basis, and it gave me a lot of pleasure to announce that to him and his team. I believe he can be a truly great soccer coach, and I want him to do that right here at Lee University.”
Carpenter added, “We are excited and pleased to make this announcement about coach Hennessey. He did a wonderful job directing the team on an interim basis and in our eyes earned the position of head coach. I watched him mature over the course of the year and saw how his team improved as the season progressed. Chris understands the culture and mission of Lee and will do an outstanding job leading our team as we continue to move forward in D2.”
His Lady Flames wasted no time in proving they were well prepared for their first official season in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and NCAA Division II. Hennessey’s club finished the regular season at 11-5-4 and an impressive 10-2 conference record.
In the GSC tournament, the Lady Flames got past the University of West Florida in a penalty kick shootout, and then lost to host University of North Alabama in another PK shootout.
Lee earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Championship and lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to South Region champion University of Tampa, 1-0.
“I am very excited at the opportunity to continue to lead the women’s soccer team,” said the new head coach. “I personally want to thank Dr. Conn, Cole Strong, and coach Carpenter for their continued support throughout the season, and giving me their confidence moving forward. I would also like to express my gratitude to the players and my coaching staff, who have worked exceptionally hard the past few months.
"I believe there are exciting times ahead for this program,” he added. “Like I have mentioned before we only graduate two seniors and return the majority of the team. The post season experience we gained this year will prove vital as we enter next year.
“We are bringing in a good crop of players for 2016 and feel they will certainly add to the quality and depth of our squad."
Hennessey, an outstanding defender for the Lee University men’s soccer program (2006-09), received a degree in business from Lee. Before returning to the Lee campus as an assistant, he spent the past 3 ½ years, working as an instructor at All-Pro Soccer, entertaining a banking position and serving as the Director of Coaching for Central Maine United (a youth soccer program.)
Hennessey, a native of Manchester, England, said it was former Flame Chris Walker, who is the University of North Alabama head coach, who encouraged him to come to America and play with the Flames. "I had grown up playing with the Manchester City club, an elite-level soccer program, and when that didn’t work out," he noted, "I turned my attention to college and met my wife (Jenaea former Lee soccer player) here at Lee."