University of North Alabama Women's Softball

Lesley Bruce joined the UNA athletic staff in 2016 as coach of The Roar dance team. She has been involved in dance most of her life and has been trained in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, and Contemporary dance.   Bruce graduated summa cum laude from the University of Memphis in 2007 with a degree in dance education.  Since graduating college, she has worked as a teacher, choreographer, and studio director in and around the Shoals area, and opened Allegro Dance & Fitness in June of 2009.  As the owner of Allegro, she has worked hard to create a comprehensive dance and fitness studio where both women and children can come together, work hard, and empower themselves through movement.   As coach of The Roar, Bruce has enjoyed training dancers at the collegiate level and is grateful for the opportunity to share her love and passion for dance with the Shoals community.

Updated: June 18, 2025 Ashley Cozart was hired as the head softball coach at the University of North Alabama in July 2013. She enters her 13th season at North Alabama in 2026. Cozart is the sixth coach in the program's history. She enters the 2026 season with a 607-241-1 overall record, including a 416-195-1 mark at UNA. Prior to UNA, she was the head coach at Lindsey Wilson from 2010-13 and compiled an impressive 191-46 record in four seasons. On August 26, 2024, Cozart received a contract extension through 2028. Following a successful stint leading the program in Division II, including the 2016 national championship, Cozart guided the Lions through the transition to the NCAA Division I level. UNA did not have a losing record in any of the four provisional seasons before reaching full status prior to the 2023 campaign, and still hasn't had a losing season throughout her tenure. In 2025, the Lions finished 30-21 for Cozart's fourth consecutive seasons with at least 30 wins. She achieved her 400th win as UNA's coach on March 1 against Oakland, then later earned her 600th overall win against EKU on March 28. UNA was one of the last 10 unbeaten teams in Division I with a 9-0 start. In 2024, Cozart's squad finished 35-19 for the second-most single season wins since UNA's move to Division I in 2019. The Lions finished fifth in the ASUN standings to make their sixth straight ASUN Championship. The Lions ousted Austin Peay in the elimination round before falling to eventual champion FGCU and Central Arkansas. Five players earned ASUN honors in 2024, led by first team selections Alivia Wilken and Haven Kirby. A key milestone in this season came from Wilken in the season opener against Samford, as she tossed the first perfect game in program history. UNA was also the only ASUN team ranked in the top three for batting average, ERA and fielding percentage at the end of the regular season. In 2023, Cozart and the Lions made a magical run in the ASUN Championship tourmament in DeLand, Fla. UNA won four straight games and was one win away from winning the conference title, falling in two games to Central Arkansas in the championship final. The team finished 34-17-1 on the season, marking the 10th consecutive winning season under Cozart. In 2022, Cozart reached a pair of coaching milestones. She won her 300th game at UNA on April 3, with a 13-5 mercy-rule home victory over Jacksonville. Later in the season, a 3-2 home win over Central Arkansas gave Cozart her 500th career victory. The Lions rallied from a 2-0 deficit to post the extra-inning victory on May 1. After her first five seasons resulted in five consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, Cozart continued to guide the Lions to new heights during their first season in Division I. UNA posted a 26-20 record in its first Division I season in 2019, earning a No. 4 seed in the ASUN Conference Tournament after being picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches' poll. Megan Garst was named ASUN Pitcher of the Year after setting a school record with a 0.83 ERA on the year. The junior also led the ASUN in strikeouts-per-seven innings, and earned a first team all-conference and third team all-region honors. She was a two-time ASUN Pitcher of the Week and became the first pitcher in UNA history to toss consecutive no-hitters, blanking Liberty and Jacksonville in consecutive games. Other ASUN honors for UNA in its first Division I season included Veronica Westfall (Second Team), Lexie Harper (All-Freshman Team) and Alex Brown (All-Academic). With only two trips to the NCAA Tournament in school history prior to her arrival, Cozart guided the Lions to five consecutive tournament berths in her first five seasons at the helm of the program at the Division II level. The 2016 season culminated with the program's first NCAA Division II National Championship. The championship run included the program's first Gulf South Conference (regular season and tournament) title in 29 seasons. UNA also won NCAA South 1 regional and Super-Regional champions along the way to clinch a spot in the 2016 Women's College World Series in Denver, Colorado. At the championships, the Lions went 5-1, posting a 4-1 victory over Humboldt State in the title game to cap a 60-7 season. During the run, UNA broke or tied 30 team and individual records at the single-season and career levels. the Lions also broke or tied four GSC records and also set a new attendance mark for the year. Cozart has coached 47 all-conference, 28 all-region and 13 All-America selections during her career. In the classroom, the Lions have also posted program-high grade point averages and landed team's second-ever Academic All-American with Harlie Barkley in 2016. Amy Carden was also the recipient of the 2016 Elite 90 Award, given to player at the championship location with the highest GPA. Following the 2016 season, Cozart was named GSC Coach of the Year. The NFCA also named Cozart and UNA assistant coach Whitney Hawkins the Regional and National Coaching Staff of the Year. UNA's 2018 teams also won the GSC title and hosted the NCAA South 2 Regional. Cozart came to UNA after winning more than 81 percent of her games as head coach Lindsey Wilson College, where she guided the Blue Raiders to the NAIA national tournament four straight seasons. In four years, she compiled a 191-46 record, including a 50-10 mark during the 2013 campaign. Under Cozart, Lindsey Wilson won four straight Mid-South Conference regular season and tournament titles. She was also a three-time MSC Coach of the Year from 2010-12. After being hired at LWC in 2009, Cozart had an immediate impact on the program as the Blue Raiders increased their win total from 26 the previous season to 47 during the 2010 campaign. Lindsey Wilson advanced to pool play in the NAIA national tournament three straight seasons before reaching bracket play last year, ending the season with a 5-1 loss to No. 1 Auburn-Montgomery. LWC set a school record for wins in a season and produced seven all-conference selections, including the MSC Pitcher of the Year. During Cozart’s tenure, the Blue Raiders were consistently ranked in the NAIA Top 25 poll, including their highest ranking of No. 12 in the final regular-season poll of the 2013 season. Overall, LWC has been ranked in the Top 25 for 15 consecutive weeks dating back to the middle of the 2012 season. The team also produced an 86-18 record in conference games. Individual player honors at the conference and national levels were also abundant at Lindsey Wilson during Cozart’s time at the helm of the program. Over the last four years, the Blue Raiders produced one MSC Player of the Year, four Pitchers of the Year and 17 first team all-conference selections. LWC also had six NAIA All-Americans. Prior to arriving at Lindsey Wilson, Cozart served one season as the assistant coach at Lee University. The Flames produced a 39-14 record and a share of the Southern States Athletic Conference regular-season championship in 2009. Prior to Lee, Cozart spent two seasons as the head coach at Antioch High School. As a student-athlete, Cozart helped Trevecca Nazarene University to a pair of top-five finishes at the NAIA Softball World Series. She was selected as the TranSouth Conference Freshman of the Year in 2004 and went on to be a four-time all-conference and all-region selection. She broke the school career record for hits and doubles and is ranked in the program’s top five in runs batted in, home runs, batting average and runs scored. In 2014, she was selected to the Trevecca Athletic Hall of Fame. She graduated from Trevecca in 2007 and is married to Shaun Cozart. The two have two sons, Cooper and Tucker.

Greg Larnerd joined Ashley Cozart's softball staff as an assistant coach on July 21, 2025.  Prior to UNA, Larnerd (pronounced LAR-NERD) was an assistant coach at Chattanooga, where he helped the Mocs to back-to-back Southern Conference Regular Season Softball Championships in 2024 and 2025. Chattanooga also won the SoCon Tournament in 2024 and made an appearance in the NCAA Regional at Tallahassee.   "Greg is a big time hire for us," said Cozart at the time of hire. "His energy is contagious, he knows hitting and knows how to win. His past two seasons at Chattanooga, he was a part of conference championships. In my opinion, he is one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the softball world. I can't wait to have him join our staff."   Larnerd had over 18 years of coaching and teaching experience in the softball and baseball worlds. Starting in 2008, Larnerd lettered four seasons on the baseball team at SUNY Plattsburgh. Upon graduation, he became the head baseball coach of Xplosion Baseball in Connecticut.   Later, Larnerd relocated to Chattanooga, Tenn. and started the Scenic City Rangers Baseball organization in 2021. He led the elite team and oversaw the developmental team. This led into the official start of his softball coaching career, as he joined the Mocs in Janaury of 2024 as the assistant softball coach.   Outside of coaching, Larnerd has also enjoyed a stellar career in sports media. While in college, Larnerd directed the sports department of the campus radio station and advocated for online streaming. He was responsible for sports programming, including daily shows and live sporting event coverage.   Larnerd's broadcast career is what originally led him to Chattanooga as he hosted, produced and board-operated "The Word With G" on ESPN Chattanooga 95.3 FM from 2021-2024. He was also a weekly sports correspondent for News Channel 9 in Chattanooga and was the primary host of Inside High School Sports. His most recent venture was "Chatt It Up Sports" in 2024 after ESPN Chattanooga was sold, covering all local sports in the Scenic City.    "I am extremely excited to join the UNA athletics and softball family as the newest hitting coach for the Lions," said Larnerd at the time of hire. "I'm incredibly grateful for Ashley Cozart and Whitney Hawkins for believing in me and my vision for our offense. I look forward to helping grow this program, develop our players not only as softball players but more importantly as people, and continue the success that they've had under Coach Cozart's guidance. Roar Lions!"   Larnerd graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2013 with a degree in Audio/Radio Production.

Updated: June 18, 2025 After previously spending three seasons on the University of North Alabama coaching staff, including during the 2016 national championship season, Whitney Hawkins rejoined the UNA softball program as pitching coach under head coach Ashley Cozart on January 9, 2023. She enters her fourth season since rejoining the staff for her seventh overall. Since her return to UNA, the Lions accomplished a rare feat in the circle. In the 2024 season opener, starting pitcher Alivia Wilken threw the first perfect game in program history in a shutout of Samford. Wilken went on to rank among the nation's leaders with a 1.48 ERA over 189.1 innings, including an 0.99 ERA in league play. Wilken earned first team all-conference honors and was a two-time ASUN Pitcher of the Week. Hawkins originally became pitching coach at UNA in 2014 and remained for three seasons as the Lions compiled a 130-41 record during her three-year term at North Alabama. "Whitney Hawkins is a proven winner," said Cozart. "Everywhere she has been, she has made the program better. She was a successful pitcher in college and has produced some great pitchers at the college level. She was here in 2016 with us when we won the national championship so I am excited about the great things she will bring to this program and the experience she has. I look forward to working with her again and excited about the direction of our pitching staff and program." At the time of her second hire in 2023, Hawkins said she was looking forward to returning to North Alabama. "I am so excited to be back in Florence and get the chance to be a small part of such a special program again," Hawkins said. "Coach Cozart has done an incredible job with creating the culture here. I am grateful to Dr. Looney and Coach Cozart for allowing me the opportunity to step in and help this pitching staff grow and reach it's full potential." Hawkins returns to UNA after serving as assistant coach and pitching coach at the University of Montevallo. Before joining the Falcons, Hawkins was the associate head coach at Lindsey Wilson College for one season and the assistant coach for one season. She helped lead the Blue Raiders to a MSC regular season and tournament championship, an appearance in the NAIA World Series and a No.6 overall national ranking. Prior to her time at Lindsey Wilson, Hawkins coached at East Mississippi Community College where she helped guide the Lions to a 17-26 overall record, including a 13-15 conference mark in 2017. A former standout pitcher at the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH), Hawkins had spent the the previous three seasons as a student coach with the Chargers before coming to UNA in 2014. In 2016, she and Cozart were named the NFCA Regional and National Coaching Staff of the Year following the Lions' 60-7 campaign that culminated in the NCAA Division II National Championship. While at UNA, Hawkins coached some of the top pitchers at the conference, regional and national levels. In her first three seasons, she had seven All-Gulf South Conference and three All-South Region selections at pitcher. During the 2016 title run, left-handed pitcher Hillary Carpenter was named the MVP of the national tournament, tying a record with five victories at the championship event. As a player, Hawkins lettered two seasons at UAH, earning first-team All-Gulf South Conference and first-team All-South Region honors twice. She helped lead the Chargers to the NCAA Division II national championship game in 2009 and earned a spot on the national all-tournament team. She was also named the 2009 South Region Tournament MVP. She wrapped up her career at UAH with a 1.28 earned run average. Prior to her time at UAH, Hawkins played two seasons at Wallace Community College in Dothan. She was a two-time All-State and All-Region selection in 2007 and 2008. Her four-year collegiate career included a .391 batting average with 23 home runs and a 76-17 record in the pitching circle. Originally from Athens, Hawkins lettered at Athens High School, where she was a three-time all-state selection. She pitched, played first base and third base for the Class 5A Eagles. She collected 253 hits, including 29 home runs and 170 RBI. On the mound, she totaled 75 wins with a 1.01 ERA. She graduated UAH in 2014 with a degree in English and a minor in mathematics.