When BYU named Lee Cummard as its new women’s basketball head coach last March, the former Cougar All-American guard pledged to live up to the school’s winning tradition and commitment to excellence.
A year later, it’s safe to say he’s done just that.
Cummard’s Cougars wrapped up the regular season this past weekend with a 20-10 record, marking the program’s first 20-win campaign in four years.
After going 10-26 against Big 12 opponents over the past two seasons since joining the conference, BYU currently holds a 9-9 mark in league play to earn the 9 seed in the Big 12 tournament, where the Cougars will face 16-seeded Houston on Wednesday (12:30 p.m. MST on ESPN+).
Should BYU advance, it would set the stage for a rivalry matchup with Utah Thursday in the tournament’s second round.
But more importantly, defeating Houston on Wednesday would be the Cougars’ first-ever victory in a Big 12 tournament game, adding another measure of progress in Cummard’s debut campaign.
BYU opened the regular season on a 12-1 tear and closed with a three-game win streak. The Cougars swept the regular season series with Utah, handed 15-0 Arizona State its first loss of the season and scored an upset win over No. 19 Texas Tech.
A 2-6 midseason stretch has BYU sitting on the wrong side of the NCAA tournament bubble, currently listed among the “next four out” on ESPN’s bracketology and needing to both win a few games in Kansas City and receive some outside help in order to break into the bracket.
However, the Cougars have four wins over projected tournament teams and are 7-1 against fellow bubble squads, with the only loss coming against Colorado, which they then beat in a rematch two weeks later.
Even if BYU is left out of the tournament, it would be difficult to label Year 1 of the Cummard era as anything but a slam dunk, with the Cougars clearly a team on the rise going forward.
A whopping 72% of BYU’s total points have come from freshmen and sophomore players, with the number jumping to 86.8% when counting players with remaining eligibility to return next year — and that’s not including current redshirt Kailey Woolston, who averaged 13 points per game as a freshman before leaving on a church mission.
The Cougars have thrived off the court as well, posting a 3.53 team GPA during fall semester, their highest mark since 2020.
“I think that we have a pretty solid foundation,” Cummard told the Deseret News. “I love the group that we’ve put together for this year, I love the staff that we’ve put together and love the buy-in from everybody involved.
“I think if we can continue to have success, Cougar Nation will get behind us even more because of who these athletes are. They’ve got great stories. They’re great individuals. The buy-in is tremendous because of who’s around the program.”
BYU women’s basketball head coach Lee Cummard walks the sideline during an exhibition game against Western Colorado on Oct. 28, 2025. | Abby Shelton/BYU
“A burning desire”
There’s a line in Cummard’s own scouting report as a high school recruit that’s rather telling:
“Plays with an intensity level that’s rare among high school players.”
Such intensity stood out when he was in college as well. Cummard was a great shooter, but his toughness, hustle and grit made him special.
“His passion for success, his passion for this school is second to none. He has always had a burning desire to play and win for the name across the chest, not for the name on the back,” said BYU women’s chief of staff John Wardenburg, who coached on BYU’s men’s staff during Cummard’s playing career.
“When he was a player here, he didn’t care if he scored two points or if he scored 20. What mattered was the final score at the end. Every day, that feeling exudes from him out into our team, and it’s a really positive thing.”
Lee Cummard dives for a loose ball during a game against Utah in 2009. | Mark A. Philbrick/BYU
Cummard’s intangibles on the hardwood haven’t disappeared since he hung up his sneakers — they’ve followed him to the sideline.
“He’s very competitive. You saw it when he was a player, and that’s obviously carried along with him not just for basketball but for everything and anything he does,” said BYU guard Arielle Mackey-Williams. “I think what stems from that is how he genuinely wants everyone — his players and coaches — to get better. I think that’s really important for a coach to give that to us as players. We can feel that belief that he has and that he instills in us.
“He’s always teaching us that the game of basketball is just a game of trying to create the advantage. I feel like he always says that. We’re trying to create the advantage offensively to create shots for whoever’s open, and then defensively, too, it’s just that gritty, tough, defensive style that he’s taught us.”
One of the “advantages” Cummard has created for himself is working to build strong, meaningful relationships with everyone around him, something he pursues with the same doggedness he used to display when attacking the rim.
“I think he does a good job at connecting with each and every one of us how we like to be connected with, if that makes sense,” BYU guard Marya Hudgins said. “If there’s one girl who’s maybe a bit more quiet and has an interest in something that he doesn’t know much about, he goes out of his way to make sure that he’s connecting with them about that thing.
“For example, I’m a very outgoing, joking person. Him and I connect by doing that exact thing. So he just does a good job at kind of getting to know us personally and then connecting with us on that level, so doesn’t feel forced or anything like that. It’s more authentic to who we are.”
BYU women’s basketball head coach Lee Cummard celebrates with players following a win over Coastal Carolina on Nov. 5, 2025. | BYU Photo
‘Once they hired Lee, I knew I wanted to stay here’
Cummard’s relationship skills paid immediate dividends for BYU upon his hiring.
When Amber Whiting parted ways with the program, uncertainty engulfed the roster. The Cougars appeared to be in danger of losing key pieces from their core and subsequently need to build a team from the ground up.
Cummard, however, managed to retain 80% of BYU’s players with remaining eligibility.
“When I play for Lee, I want to play and provide everything that I can, because he has so much belief in me and my teammates and what we can be,” said Hudgins, who was one of BYU’s key holdovers. “He knows how to bring out the absolute best in us.”
Another returning player with similar feelings was Delaney Gibb, the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Her loyalty to Cummard has resulted in 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game for the Cougars as a sophomore.
“Once they hired Lee, I knew I wanted to stay here,” Gibb said. “I’ve known him for a very long time. He’s someone that has built a lot of confidence in me, and I know that he sees my potential and the type of player that I can be. He’s someone that I knew was going to hold our program to a high standard, he’s so competitive and he wants to win. Those were all things that I loved.
“He holds us to high standards and we aim for excellence, not even just on the basketball court, but as individuals, as students, he wants to hold us to the highest standards. Every single day coming into practice, that’s what we’re going to do.”
BYU guard Delaney Gibb celebrates by spraying head coach Lee Cummard with water following a win over Coastal Carolina on Nov. 5, 2025. | BYU Photo
BYU’s current second-leading scorer, Olivia Hamlin, was committed out to Nebraska out of high school but flipped to BYU over the summer, citing Cummard’s hiring as a major reason why.
Additionally, 4-star prospect Sydney Benally maintained her pledge to the Cougars after flipping from Princeton thanks in part to Cummard. Since then, she’s started every game of her freshman season and leads the team in assists.
Woolston was serving her mission in Maryland at the time of the coaching change. The 46% 3-point shooter originally elected to enter the transfer portal, stay there for the rest of her mission and figure out her next school after returning home.
But much like Gibb, once Cummard got the job, Woolston was back in for BYU, withdrawing from the portal and rejoining the program at midseason as a redshirt at the conclusion of her service.
“I really like the way that he’s been recruiting,” Woolston said. “We have a super young team right now. We have a ton of freshmen and sophomores.
“As Lee continues to add people who want to be here for four years, who will stay and give their all and be able to continue developing, we’ll see a lot of success in these coming years.”
‘I’m trying to absorb what I can’
Cummard couldn’t have picked two better coaching mentors.
He played four years at BYU under the legendary Dave Rose, then broke into coaching by spending three seasons on Rose’s staff from 2016-19.
Upon joining the BYU women’s program, Cummard served as an assistant for another legend in Jeff Judkins for the final three seasons of Judkins’ decorated 21-year run with the Cougars.
Rose and Judkins won a combined 804 games at BYU, so it’s no wonder why Cummard lovingly refers to them as the “GOATs” of Cougar basketball.
“Those two are synonymous with basketball at BYU,” Cummard said. “I was really fortunate to have that (time with them), and I try to blend both of their styles.”
From left, Lee Cummard hugs Dave Rose following a win over Utah in 2009, Cummard coaches next to Jeff Judkins in a 2021 NCAA tournament game. | Deseret News and BYU Photo
But Rose and Judkins are far from Cummard’s only influences. He constantly searches for coaching inspiration around him, hungry to add every possible best practice to his operation.
In 20 minutes spent with this writer, Cummard mentioned Michigan State’s Tom Izzo as one of his favorite coaches to observe, while also weaving sayings and strategies belonging to college football’s Curt Cignetti and Kenny Dillingham throughout the conversation as well.
Cummard brought up BYU’s longtime women’s soccer coach Jen Rockwood, pondering aloud what can be applied from her team’s recent improbable postseason run to his women’s basketball squad.
“When I watch a game, a lot of the time I’m watching the demeanor of the coach, and I’m evaluating how they are in the huddle,” Cummard said.
“I’m trying to absorb what I can, whether it’s about Xs and Os, leading people, managing people, player interaction, player relationships, demeanor in a timeout at the end of a game, how they work the officials. That’s my realm now, and I’m trying to be the best version of that.”
Even as the head of BYU’s program, Cummard is just as much a student as he is a teacher, refusing to put himself above others and instead searching for whatever inspiration can be found from those in his same gym.
“He’s always gathering everyone’s input, whether it’s from the other coaches or even us,” Hudgins said. “He does a great job at getting our opinions or input on things. I just really appreciate how it’s just not his way or the highway, because I know that could be really frustrating to work with and also play for.”
“He’s very collaborative with his assistant coaches,” added Paisley Harding, a former Cougars star now in her first year as a BYU assistant. “He always wants to understand and know what his assistant coaches and staff members feel. I appreciate that a lot.”
Lee Cummard and BYU’s assistant coaches huddle with players during a timeout in a game against Omaha on Nov. 13, 2025. | Christi Norris/BYU
‘We had to jump in on this’
Let’s rewind for a minute.
Two days after Thanksgiving in 2021, the undefeated Cougars were in the midst of a dogfight against No. 22 West Virginia. The St. Pete’s Showcase tournament title was on the line, but Judkins was nowhere near the BYU bench. He remained back in Utah, having tested positive for COVID-19.
Thus, Cummard was thrust into action as Judkins’ interim replacement, foreshadowing his head coaching future in the process.
Judkins-less BYU had already won two games under Cummard, walloping Utah State at home before scoring an upset of No. 17 Florida State in the showcase opener less than 48 hours earlier.
Plenty of young coaches filling in for a legend would have cracked under the pressure of trying to topple a second ranked foe in a three day span.
According to Harding, Cummard wasn’t one of them.
“We’re tied late, and Lee brings us in and instills this confidence in us,” Harding said. “He goes, ‘Are you guys ready to win? Let’s go win.’ He was just the perfect person for the job to step in for Juddy in those situations, and it just shows how trusted he was by our team. I love looking back on that with him getting the same opportunity now.”
BYU women’s basketball head coach Lee Cummard is shown during his time as a Cougars assistant during the 2021-22 season. In three games as acting head coach that year, Cummard led BYU to a 3-0 record with two wins over ranked opponents. | BYU Photo
BYU did end up getting the win over West Virginia, and the Cougars have continued to stack victories since Cummard became their permanent head coach nearly a year ago.
While Harding says Cummard hasn’t drastically changed in the time between playing for and now coaching with him, she believes he’s shown plenty of encouraging growth to benefit him in his current role.
“He’s still just his same fun-loving self, but at the same time, he brings a lot of intensity to the gym every every time he’s in there and he expects a lot from his players. He played at a very high level, so he knows what it takes to be on good teams,” Harding said.
“Coach Judkins is just such a special person in my eyes, so it’s very fun to see Juddy pass the torch to Lee … I feel like the program is in really good hands with Coach Lee leading the way.”
Harding isn’t the only player from that West Virginia win to end up on Cummard’s staff. Kaylee Smiler, a Cougars guard from 2018-24, recently returned to BYU as a graduate assistant, with the opportunity to work with Cummard “obviously” factoring into her decision.
“I just think Lee is ready to take this team the next level,” Smiler said. “All the girls have their heads towards the Big 12 (tournament) and to March Madness. He’s a true leader. When he became a head coach, me and Paisley, we had to jump in on this because we know that this program will be successful with him on board.
“I love the environment (in Cummard’s program). I get in there, and it’s just light, it’s uplifting, everyone’s welcoming each other, and I know that the source of it is Lee.”
‘The best teams here are teams that loved BYU’
As a highly-touted recruit coming out of Mesa High in Arizona, Cummard didn’t expect to end up at BYU.
But after touring various programs and campuses, he felt the pull to Provo for one specific reason — to “try to become the man I think I’m supposed to be.”
Cummard and BYU ended up being a perfect match, with more than 1,500 career points, three Mountain West Conference titles and plenty of other accolades to show for it, in addition to sticking around for the past 10 years as a Cougars coach.
Through coaching, Cummard seeks to help others receive what he was given at BYU.
It’s his “Y.”
BYU women’s basketball head coach speaks to his team before a game against Texas Tech on Jan. 21, 2026. | Aaron Cornia/BYU Photo
“I feel a huge responsibility to give these athletes a great college experience,” Cummard said. “… One of the things that Coach Judkins said was that he always made decisions based on the players. If it was going to be best for the players, that’s what he wanted.
“I think that if the athletes are having a great experience, it’s gonna manifest itself on the court in their play, in their camaraderie, and what they want for the group.”
BYU is undoubtedly different from other schools. The mission and purpose of the university are unique. Standards of personal conduct are higher. For some, the culture may require adjusting to.
But for those who choose BYU and can appreciate what it has to offer, Cummard feels they will catch the vision and experience significant joy.
“Players that embrace BYU, even if they don’t have a tie to this place, it just seems to go really well for them and for their teams as well,” Cummard said. “Over the course of the last 20, 25 years, I think the best teams here are teams that loved BYU. You saw it last year with men’s basketball, you see it year in and year out from women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s volleyball and football, where you have guys that want to be here and just be part of Cougar Nation.
“There’s an extra concentration of, ‘I’m in this for something bigger than just me.’ We feel like this is a premier place to play in the country. We really push our athletes to strive to succeed in the classroom. There’s a standard that we want for the team that everybody’s on board with, and we feel that it impacts winning on the court and winning in life as well.”
‘It’s hard for great people to not gel with other great people’
Cummard’s players clearly love BYU, but their love for each other stands out as well.
It’s a tight-knit group — the Cougars are as united as they are young, even when so many of them have come from different backgrounds or have taken different paths to Provo.
“The girls have really done a great job of welcoming everyone into their life,” Wardenburg said. “I mean, you look at our roster, and we have girls from Africa, a few Canadians. Lara Rohkohl is German, Sydney (Benally) is Native American. We have girls from a lot of areas in the United States, and every one of those girls is special in their own way, they bring things culturally and socially that all of us can learn from.
“There’s no doubt that teams take on the persona of their boss, and that’s one thing Lee is really good at — welcoming you and making you feel good.”
Cummard hasn’t needed to go out of his way to force or manufacture team chemistry. Being intentional about recruiting high character players who buy into and embrace BYU’s uniqueness has made all chemistry-related matters quite natural.
“Lee and his staff have brought in the right people who they know will just get along,” Hudgins said. “They’re doing a great job of getting great people, and it’s hard for great people to not gel with other great people.
“Having a staff and a team that’s filled with authentic, true-to-themselves people, it just makes us so much better.”
By now, Cummard’s main philosophy seems obvious — “When you get the right people together, and they’re enjoying each other off the court and doing the right things off the court, it manifests on the court,” he says.
Finding the right people has proven successful for the Cougars this year, and it will continue to be a central theme and pursuit for Cummard’s program as long as he’s at the helm.
“I believe that Lee will build a championship level program here, and he’s going to do it the right way,” Wardenburg said. “He’s going to do it with his vision of playing fast, of defending, of pressing, of what you see us doing now.
“We’re only going to get better. You’re going to see a team that regularly fights for Big 12 championships.”
BYU women’s basketball head coach Lee Cummard celebrates in the locker room with players following a victory over Texas Tech on Jan. 22, 2026. | Aaron Cornia/BYU Photo
