Bruce Lenington
Bruce Lenington
  • Title:
    Head Coach
  • Phone:
    210-431-4107
  • Email:
    blenington@ollusa.edu
  • Year:
    4th Season
  • Previous College:
    Wayne State University

Bio

BRUCE LENINGTON joined the university as the Softball Head Coach in July 2019. Lenington comes to OLLU after an assistant coach stint at Michigan State University. 

During his first season at the helm, Lenington guided the Saints to an 11-14 overall record and 3-0 mark in Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) play before the season ended due to COVID-19. 

In his second season this past spring, the Saints ended with a 26-18 overall record and 12-6 conference record. After defeating the University of the Southwest 2-0 and LSU-Alexandria 6-0 in the opening rounds of the conference tournament, the women lost 1-0 to Texas A&M University - Texarkana and 10-4 to the University of Houston-Victoria to end their season.

Lenington led the Saints to their best record and postseason outcome in program history during the 2022 season. The Saints finished the regular season with a 41-9 overall record and 23-5 conference mark. Highlights during the regular season included a 24-game win streak that led the NAIA. OLLU finished as runner-up in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Tournament and qualified for the NAIA Tournament. The Saints went 2-2 in their regional bracket with an extra-inning loss to No. 1-ranked University of Mobile to end the season. OLLU ranked fourth in the NAIA with 61 home runs and third with 181 extra base hits. Lenington was awarded RRAC Coach of the Year.

The Saints qualified for the NAIA World Series for the first time in program history under Lenington’s direction in 2023. OLLU also marked the highest winning percentage in its 14-year history at .864. The squad went undefeated in RRAC play with a 28-0 record. The team won 35 straight games before heading into the RRAC Postseason Tournament. The Saints won the postseason tournament after only one loss in six matchups. Following the RRAC title, the team won the NAIA Opening Round bracket for the first time. They qualified for the NAIA World Series after knocking out Taylor University and Hope International University. The Saints lost to Marian University to open play at the World Series and concluded the season with a competitive 6-5 loss to Midland University. Lenington was named RRAC Coach of the Year for the second straight season. He took over the reigns in 2020 and has amassed a 134-53 overall record and 66-11 mark in conference play.

All four of Lenington's teams earned NAIA Scholar Team awards.

Lenington boasts a long career at the high school, national travel ball, NAIA and NCAA D1 levels.

He joined NCAA D1 Michigan State softball head coach Jacquie Joseph in August 2018 as assistant coach and worked primarily with hitting and overall defense after spending one season at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

In 2016, Lenington, a native of the Detroit metro area, was hired as an assistant to help lead NAIA Lawrence Tech University (LTU) in its inaugural season. The Blue Devils became the first LTU program to reach the postseason conference tournament in their first year of existence finishing with a record of 22-28.

Lenington also served as the head coach at Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 1 Novi High School and led one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory. Prior to his hiring in 2013, Novi's last winning season was in 2001. After his hiring, the Wildcats enjoyed four consecutive winning seasons, including conference and district championships in 2014 and 2015 respectively. He also owned and operated the Michigan Lookouts, a travel softball training and recruitment service, from 2011-2017, where he assisted more than 60 student-athletes realize their dreams of playing college softball. In 2013, his 18U team finished in the top 10 at the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) "A" National Tournament in Salem, Va. - one of the best finishes for any Michigan team prior to that time.

Lenington has held camps and clinics throughout the country for players at all levels including youth and college athletes. He began his coaching career at the high school level in Filer, Idaho, in 1992, where his teams made several final four finishes and won the 1995 State Championship.

Lenington and his wife, Paula, have three children: daughters Jordan and Ashley, both former college softball players, and son Conner. The couple is also parents to four adopted dogs Maggie, Pudge and Moxy, as well as Saints' mascot Gus. Gus is in his second season as the team's mascot