BYU's women's basketball program hasn't necessarily had the easiest time of it in recent years, and that's in large part due to the fact that the school just couldn't seem to nail down a head coach. Coach Jeff Judkins retired at the end of the 2021-22 season after an incredible 21 seasons at the school, and since then the program has rotated through 3 different coaches — and hasn't had a lot of success while doing so.
But this season might be different, and that's in large part due to the fact that the program has promoted Lee Cummard to the role.
Cummard, who worked as an assistant coach under Judkins and as an associate coach under Amber Whiting (who departed at the end of the 2024-25 season), has roots that go even deeper than that.
Lee Cummard played for — and graduated from — BYU
Cummard is more than familiar with what it takes to bring a team from BYU to the main stage. He attended the school himself, and helped lead the men's team to three consecutive Mountain West Conferences in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
He was named to the All-MWC First Team in 2008 and 2009, 2008 MWC Player of the Year, and 2008 AP All-America Honorable Mention. After graduating in 2009, Cummard played overseas in France, Japan, and Belgium.
His coaching career began at his alma mater when he was named a graduate assistant coach in 2016 before moving up to be an assistant coach for the men's basketball team during the 2018-19 season. He made the swap to women's basketball in 2022 and was part of the team that directed the BYU Cougars to their first ranked win against Baylor in 2024.
Cummard was upgraded to head coach by the school in March 2025. In his speech, Cummard acknowledged his 20-year relationship with the school, and also stated his goal for the team: continuing the program's tradition of winning. That will be a tall order, as BYU hasn't had a winning season since 2021-22 when the program went 26-4, but that doesn't mean the possibility isn't within reach.
BYU isn't exactly known for its women's basketball team (arguably, the bigger women's sports are soccer and volleyball), but the bones of the team were once strong, and Cummard may well have the history and culture experience to restore a floundering program to some version of its former glory — or, perhaps, into something entirely new.