Lyndsey Oates, M.S. 鈥�04, still gets goose bumps thinking about 2009, the first year she truly believed she could be a successful head coach for UNC鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Volleyball program.  

When she took the position in August 2005, it was, more or less, an offer she couldn鈥檛 refuse, even though she鈥檇 been an assistant for just a few years. That was the same year UNC transitioned to a Division I (DI) program, and at 25, Oates was one of the youngest head volleyball coaches in DI history. UNC asked her to be interim head coach because, to put it bluntly, they didn鈥檛 have anyone else. Former head coach, Ron Alexander, 鈥�88, left three days before the start of the season.  

Despite that, this wasn鈥檛 a program that UNC expected to just limp along. Alexander left with an 88-13 record, and before him, Linda Delk, M.A. 鈥�78 won 700 matches and 14 NCAA tournaments, including four deep runs that ended at the Elite Eight. 

Oates knew the game. She was a star at Eaton High School and played for Louisiana State University (LSU). At LSU, one of her coaches told her she saw the game better than she played it, a remark that insulted her at first and later affirmed her career path.  

But she knew nothing about being a head coach.  

鈥淚t was a bit overwhelming,鈥� Oates said.  

She started with two losing seasons, but UNC was patient, and in 2008, there was a breakthrough. The team finished third in the conference. She had an experienced and talented team that had learned alongside her. She had hope.  

A year later, in 2009, she and her team won their first Big Sky tournament championship and Oates won Big Sky Coach of the Year. 

It was not only an affirmation for her and the seniors who stayed after Alexander left, but also for UNC. Many questioned the Bears鈥� move to DI. The team鈥檚 title was a good answer for the critics. Yes, UNC could compete and win at the highest level.  

Goose bumps.  

鈥⑩赌⑩赌�

Now in her 21st year as head coach, Oates鈥� successes are equally as impressive as her predecessors鈥嗏�斺�娾�唂ive-time Big Sky Coach of the Year, 14 Big Sky titles, seven NCAA tournament bids.  

Like any good coach, she鈥檒l remind anyone she didn鈥檛 do it alone. Terry Pettit, who led the women鈥檚 volleyball program at Nebraska for 22 years, stepped in early to 

serve as Oates鈥� mentor, something she considers to be a 鈥楪odsend.鈥�  

Oates kept the blue-collar work ethic that defined UNC volleyball but grew alongside her players and even adjusted her strict demeanor.  

鈥淵ou have to give more grace to some college students,鈥� said Taylor Stuemky, 鈥�10, a former player who is now the senior associate athletic director for Internal Operations at the University of Wyoming. 鈥淲e went from one strike and you鈥檙e done to three strikes.鈥� 

Stuemky said despite her youth, Oates was way ahead of her time in psychology and motivation.  

The weekend before the 2009 Big Sky tournament, the team lost their last two matches soundly. Oates took her players outside and showed them pieces of wood painted with words like 鈥渄oubt, denial, frustration.鈥� Then she handed them little axes.  

鈥淲e just chopped wood and got out all our anger,鈥� Stuemky said. 鈥淚t was a reset. We went into that tournament refocused and ready.鈥� 

And they won.  

鈥⑩赌⑩赌�

Following that first title, Oates and her team were on a roll, winning conference titles in 2010 and 2011, and conference tournament wins in 2012 and 2014. During that time, her personal life was also taking off. She married husband Mark in 2012 and had a son, Dylan, in 2013 and a daughter, Rylee, in 2015. Things were going well. 

But in 2015, the team went 14-16, and over the next three years, posted a modest 61-57 record. UNC didn鈥檛 fall far, she says today, but those years weren鈥檛 up to her standards.  

鈥淚 had to make a lot of hard decisions to get us back,鈥� Oates said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 one thing. The solution had to be a lot of little things.鈥�  

After implementing those changes, UNC came roaring back in 2019, winning 26 games, earning regular season and conference tournament championships and advancing to the NCAA tournament. Since then, she鈥檚 had arguably her best years, with a .700 winning percentage and three tournament titles.  

During the 2024-25 season, the team tallied 28 wins鈥嗏�斺�娾�哋ates鈥� personal best鈥嗏�斺�娾�哹efore losing to Arizona in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship semifinals. They also 鈥榳on the state鈥� for the first time in program history, beating every other DI program in 黑料社区. 

Oates continues to do it the right way, something that Jenny Glenn, Oates鈥� former assistant and now head volleyball coach at Metro State, admires about her.  

鈥淪he would do whatever it takes to win but do it with integrity,鈥� Glenn said.  

Oates said she knows the rules but relies on her faith to inform her about the right choices.  

鈥淚 pray about it and listen to my gut feeling,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know my character is what matters.鈥� 

She has a bigger purpose, she said, and that鈥檚 what keeps her going through the tougher years and the fundraising and the pressure to win.  

鈥淚f you鈥檙e only fueled by passion, you will burn out,鈥� Oates said, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 mentoring and raising girls and helping them through life that is what鈥檚 keeping me here.鈥�