Angelina College Welcomes Addie Lees As Lady ‘Runners Head Basketball Coach

The Angelina College women's basketball team has a new head coach. Addie Lees will soon be on the court at Shands Gymnasium leading the Lady 'Runners in Region XIV competition.

Lees is no stranger to college basketball in East Texas. She spent a few years strolling the sidelines of countless Region XIV women’s basketball games as the head coach at Kilgore College. There, Lees guided the Rangers to three 20-win seasons and a national ranking.

So yes, she’s all-too-familiar with the level of competition at this level – and she said she can’t wait to get reacquainted with those battles.

“I’m a competitor, and Region XIV produces phenomenal student-athletes year after year,” Lees said of her decision to return to Region XIV. “This league has exceptional coaches, and when this opportunity arose, I just thought, ‘Why not be a part of that again?’”

Adding to her desire to return to East Texas was the impression AC athletics and the administration made on her, not just recently, but over the past few years.

“It’s the people here,” Lees said. “I believe in influence and positive impact, and I want to be a part of something special.

“Angelina College is trending upward,” Lees noted. “They’ve got people in place to help everyone succeed, and there’s something there for everyone. To me, all that aligns with my own vision.”

Following her successes at Kilgore College, Lees moved on to ASU-Midsouth. There, despite having only a few days to recruit, Lees assembled a team that won the NJCAA Region 2 Tournament title, finishing the year with a 19-11 record.

That same team boasted three Academic All-Americans and was named the NJCAA Academic Team of the Year, posting a 3.19 cumulative GPA. Her teams also have boasted a 100 percent graduation rate, a factor Lees said she emphasizes from the very first meeting with a player.

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Lees, a Plainview, Texas native (her high school team won back-to-back state titles) said some of her biggest focus is preparing her student-athletes for what happens after the very last whistle. She’s ready to “hold their feet to the fire” while also serving as “a positive light.”

“This is all full-circle for me,” Lee added. “This is something Angelina College offers every student, and not just the athletes. We want academic success to be the ceiling that all students are trying to reach. That’s what I want to be a part of."