Most head coaches admit the success of their teams depends a great deal on assistants. Lee head coach Marty Rowe shares that feeling about Jan (Dodson) Spangler who begins her 13th year as his assistant coach and sixth season as the team’s associate head coach.
Said Rowe, “Jan continues to position herself as one of the elite young coaches in our sport. She constantly makes a huge impact on our team both on and off the court. There is little doubt that much of our program’s success can be directly attributed to her energy and work ethic. Our players are extremely fortunate to have her as our associate head coach.”
Spangler was a 2022-23 nominee for The Leadership Playbook Coach of the Year. The award seeks to honor coaches who maximize success, value growth, and make a positive impact on those they are entrusted to lead.
The Leadership Playbook helps athletic departments and sports teams build stronger cultures by developing better teammates and more positive leaders.
As part of the online curriculum, the program has hundreds of two-minute video lessons to increase a person's leadership abilities and develop life skills. Deserving coaches from across the United States were nominated by their peers, administrators, teachers, student-athletes, and in some cases, even competitors from other schools.
Spangler previously was a graduate assistant for the Lady Flames, following her playing career at Lee. “I am extremely honored to have been given the opportunity to coach at Lee University,” she said. “It has always been a dream of mine to coach at the college level. I had an amazing experience here as a player both on and off the court and I want that same experience for our girls.”
As a player, Spangler scored 1396 points and pulled down 716 rebounds in leading the Lady Flames to four trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
She was named a Second Team NAIA All-American in 2007-08 and an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention in 2006-07. Spangler was a three-time All-SSAC member and was named to the 2004-05 SSAC All-0Freshman Team. She also excelled off the court by becoming a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete. She was inducted into the Lee Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
After five years as a player and two as a graduate assistant with Rowe, Spangler accepted the women’s head coaching position at Walker Valley High School. Taking over the after the retirement of longtime coach David Tucker, she directed the Lady Mustangs to 23-1 record, claiming the District 5-AAA regular season championship, including a No. 3 ranking in the final Class AAA Associated Press poll.
Jan is married to former Lee University baseball player Patrick Spangler. The couple has two sons, Hudson, and Houston, and they reside in Cleveland.
