Coach Hughes begins his second season as head coach of the Lady Flames. His first Lee squad posted a 7-5-6 overall record and were 6-2-4 in Gulf South Conference play. His club scored a convincing 5-1 win over Valdosta State University in the opening round of the GSC Tournament before falling to top-seeded University of West Florida in the semifinal event.
Senior Katie Wilson and junior Grace Berry were named to the All-GSC team and first-team All-South Region. Junior Abby Whitcomb and senior Jordan Blair earned second-team All-GSC spots.
Six Lady Flames were listed as All-District scholars. Blair, Berry, Sydnee Duncan, Ashley Eulo, Avey Sides, and Whitcomb all received recognition. Blair had a 3.91 GPA in exercise science. Berry has a 3.59 GPA in nursing. Senior Eulo had a 3.83 GPA in Human Development (Business Emphasis). Duncan, another senior, had a 3.97 GPA in exercise science. Sides, a junior, has a 3.90 GPA in nursing and Whitcomb, has a 3.58 GPA in biology.
Coach Hughes served as an assistant under Texas University Longhorn's women's head soccer Angela Kelly for three seasons (1921-23). While in Texas, Hughes, a native of Old Colwyn, Wales, helped direct the teams to the Big 12 Regular-Season Championship in 2022 and a Tournament Championship in 2023. The club made three NCAA appearances and reached one Sweet-16. Individually, he coached three All-Americans, three Big 12 Attacking Players, and one Big 12 Defensive Player of Year.
Coach Hughes continued his career as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) from 2017 until 21 and was also the Region 3 Olympic Development Program lead coach. He was an assistant coach with Indiana State University from 2016-2017 and a volunteer assistant with the University of Iowa from 2015-16.
The leader of the Lady Flames earned a master's degree in Exercise Physiology from UAB in 2019. He graduated from Ashford University (Iowa) in 2014, where he played and was a team captain. Hughes helped guide the Saints to the 2013 NAIA Final Four and the 2014 NAIA Sweet 16.Â
He also excelled in his studies and was named a 2014 NAIA Academic All-American and the Scholar Athlete of the Year. While in Wales, Hughes played for Llandudno FC and Conwy United of the Cymru Alliance.
Hughes and his wife Morgan have a daughter, young daughter Hazel, who immediately became a member of the Lady Flames’ team.Â
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