Lisa Howe Position: Head Coach Experience: 4th Season Alma Mater: Barry, 1991

Lisa Howe became the fifth head coach in the history of the women's soccer program when she accepted the position in the spring of 2005. In a mere three seasons, she has rebuilt Belmont's program and has helped it become a feared contender not just in the Atlantic Sun but in the region as well.

In 2007, the Bruins defied the odds and became the Cinderella story of the A-Sun. After being chosen to finish eighth in the preseason coaches poll, Belmont went on to record the most league wins in its 10-year history (6) and finished the regular season in fourth place, the team's best finish to date.

BU was given the third seed in its first appearance in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and did not disappoint in its first dance, knocking off the 2006 champion Jacksonville, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. The Bruins faced off against second-seeded Mercer in the semifinals and forced the match to be decided on penalty kicks after finishing with a 1-1 tie after double overtime. Despite falling in the semis, the Bruins garnered a new level of respect and cemented its name as a team to not treat lightly.

In her first year at the helm, two players -- Kari Lennon and Anna Holt -- received Atlantic Sun postseason honors, the first since 2001, and two more -- Micaela Crowley and Anna Holt -- earned A-Sun Player of the Week honors, a first for Belmont. The accolades continued at the conclusion of her second year with Sarah Brandt earning Atlantic Sun Second-Team honors and Annie Musacchio receiving an All-Freshman Team nod, only the second in Belmont's history.

The program has not only soared on the field but continues to excel in the classroom under Howe's leadership. Thirty-one players over the last three years have earned Atlantic Sun All-Academic honors. Sixteen of those 31 received the distinction more than twice during their collegiate careers. Of the 24 player roster in 2007, over 83 percent earned A-Sun All-Academic Team honors. In back-to-back seasons, Meredith Brandt was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District IV Team, a first for Belmont.

Howe arrived at Belmont after an impressive decade long tenure at Jacksonville State where she built the program from scratch. The Gamecocks averaged nearly nine wins per year and reached postseason play six times under Howe's direction. She led JSU to four seasons with 11 or more wins and earned Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year honors in both 1999 and 2002. A total of 19 all-conference players suited up for JSU during the past decade.

Howe has taken teams to four semifinal appearances at their conference tournaments. In 2002 after posting a 12-6-2 record, Jacksonville State fell in the tournament semifinals to eventual champ UCF. In 2004, the Gamecocks pulled a first round upset of Morehead State to advance to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals.

Howe was named head coach at JSU in the spring of 1995, just four months before the inaugural season would kickoff. Prior to her tenure with the Gamecocks, Howe coached at Berry College where she guided the team to a 13-9-1 record in 1994. Her career record now stands at 110-115-25 over 12 seasons.

In addition to her head coaching experience, Howe has served as a region staff coach with the Olympic Development Program. She also headed the Alabama ODP Under-17 Girls Team and was the regional coach for the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) women's team.

Howe's playing career is no less decorated. She helped lead Barry University to four consecutive bids to the NCAA Soccer Tournament including three Final Four appearances, highlighted by a Division II National Championship in 1989.

A 1991 graduate of Barry University, Howe has a degree in Sports Management and received her MBA in management from Jacksonville State in 2002.