Lewis Theobald

Head Coach

Three-time MIAA Coach of the Year, Lewis Theobald enters his fifth season as head coach at Central Missouri with a stunning 60-14-8 record. He recorded more wins in his first three seasons than any other coach in school history.

Theobald has coached 32 all-conference players, including Most Valuable Player, Melanie Hall, Co-Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, Alyssa Rhodes and Freshman of the Year, Carly Stanley. He has also led 14 players to all-region status, and two All-Americans in Rhodes and Randi Fernsler.

Central Missouri finished the 2010 season with a 19-1-0 overall mark, participating in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Jennies went 16-0 in the MIAA, capturing the conference title. Along the way UCM broke many program and league records, finishing ranked ninth in the nation. They also had 11 players on the All-MIAA team, six on the all-region squad, and one NSCAA All-American, most on each team in program history.

The Jennies posted a 13-5-2 mark in 2009, just missing the national tournament for the first time in four years. Theobald led eight players to All-MIAA status, the most named to this team since 2001, and two players to the all-region team. The Jennies collected a 0.58 goals against average, the lowest since 1998, and their first undefeated season at home, going 8-0.

Theobald led the Jennies to a record-breaking 2008 campaign, recording the most wins for the program with a 15-4-2 record, setting the mark for most consecutive wins with 13, and winning their second conference title in as many years. Theobald was recognized as the NSCAA/Adidas South-Central Regional Coach of the Year and MIAA Coach of the Year, leading his squad to the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season, this time as the No. 1 seed and host.

In his first season, Theobald guided the Jennies to a 13-4-4 record and the first conference title in school history. UCM advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year and won the school’s first ever NCAA Tournament game before falling in the second round.

Theobald took over a program that made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history with a 12-5-3 record, while losing only one player to graduation.

Theobald came to UCM from Division I Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Conference, where he was the top assistant. While there, he was the lead recruiter and was responsible for scouting as well as game and player evaluations. He helped the Sycamores establish numerous individual and team attacking records because of his player-centered coaching philosophy. Theobald also led three players to double digit points, a first in program history.

Prior to being at ISU, Theobald spent several years coaching high school soccer, premier club soccer and the Olympic Development Program in the Kansas City Area.

Theobald was picked to start and build the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Olathe Northwest High School, where he was from 2003-06. Afterwards he helped guide Olathe East High School to the Kansas 6A State Championship in 2001 and to a NSCAA national ranking.

During his time in the area, he also coached one of the elite club teams, the Kansas City Strikers United. Responsible for player and team development, the program was ranked as one of the top teams in the Midwest by gotsoccer.com.

Theobald was also involved in the Olympic Development program for eight years in both Kansas and Indiana. He helped with the selection of the state team and was the head coach of the 1988 girls age group that had two players selected to attend the national team camp and two players selected to the region team. He also coached the 1993 team.

A 1999 graduate of the University of Kansas, Theobald recieved his degree in education with a concentration in physical education.While attending KU, Theobald was twice elected team captain for the cross country team, named representative of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and nominated for the National Advisory Board’s Senior Leadership Award. Theobald was the sole member to earn four-year varsity letters in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. He was also an Academic Big XII three times and a six-time Jayhawk Scholar.

Theobald is nationally licensed by the United States Soccer Federation with his ‘A’ license and is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

He and his wife, Katie, have three children, four and a half year old twin boys, Gavin and Gareth, and a two year old daughter, Meredith.