Missouri Baptist University alum David Lee takes the reins as Head Coach and Director of Track & Field and Cross Country in July 2022 after serving as an assistant coach overseeing sprints, jumps, and throws for three seasons.
“I am so blessed with the opportunity to lead this program,” Lee said. “After 16+ years of being involved with track & field, I am still in love with this sport. Coaches can make or break a sport for athletes, and I had amazing coaches who impacted life greatly. So, it is my desire to continue their legacies for the next generation of cross country and track & field athletes.”
Since arriving at MBU in 2019, Lee has helped coached nine Spartans to NAIA national qualifying standards and four NAIA All-Americans. In 2022, Lee and his colleagues were named American Midwest Conference (AMC) Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year after the men’s team won the conference title.
After seeing a need for more specialized coaching in the St. Louis track & field community, Lee founded High Jump STL in December 2020. In less than two years, Lee has coached athletes from Missouri and Illinois in the high jump, sprints, hurdles, long jump, and triple jump, including 15 state qualifiers and seven All-State finishes (excluding relays).
Other coaching experience includes a stint as Head Track & Field Coach, Philosophy & Religion Teacher, and School Chaplain at Tower Grove Christian Academy. In his first year of coaching at TGCA, the team placed second at state –the highest finish in school history.
The Mount Vernon, Ill. native continues to take his coaching to the next level with a USATF Level 2 certification in throws and jumps. The Level 2 certification explores sport science, training principles, performance analysis, injury prevention, among other advanced concepts. He is also pursuing a certification as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
Lee graduated cum laude from Missouri Baptist in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. A three-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Lee lettered for the men’s track & field team and held the school record in the Decathlon through 2022. Following his undergraduate coursework, Lee attended Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., where he received his Master of Divinity in Biblical & Theological Studies with a focus on biblical interpretation, history, and exegesis.
David attends and is involved in leadership at The Gate Church of St. Louis in University City. He and his wife, Samantha, have two children: Vincent (4) and Elowyn (2).
