All-Time Record at Boston University: 486-312 (.609)
20 NCAA Tournament Appearances (1999, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, 2010, '11, '14, '15, '16, '17, 2021, '23, '25)
29 Conference Championships (1989, 1990, '91, '92, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, 2010, '11, '14, '15, '16, '17, 2021, '23, '25)
10x Conference Coach of the Year (6x Patriot League, 4x America East)
2023 Wilson/ITA Northeast Region Coach of the Year
2019 USTA New England Hall of Fame Inductee
2009 and 2015 USPTA New England Coach of the Year
2002 USA Tennis New England Coach of the Year
Boston University Hall of Fame inductee and Scarlet Key recipient
Entering her 41st full season as head coach after spending four seasons playing for the Boston University women's tennis program, Lesley Sheehan will look to continue to lead the Terriers to unparalleled success.
In both Sheehan and the program's 11th season in the Patriot League, the Terriers claimed their seventh PL title and booked their 20th NCAA Tournament appearance. BU is now 33-4 (.892) in conference regular season play after a 5-1 performance in 2024-25.
In the 2024 spring season, the Terriers entered the ITA National Rankings for the first time since the 2011 season with an appearance at No. 73 following the 4-3 upset over No. 49 Brown. BU peaked as high as No. 70 on March 28, 2023 after wins over non-conference opponents Yale and UConn.
In total during Sheehan's tenure, BU has claimed 20 NCAA bids and 29 conference championships, including 22 in the America East, while compiling an overall record of 486-312 (.609). A former NCAA singles participant herself, she was inducted into the USTA New England Hall of Fame in June 2019 for her accomplishments as a player and coach.
The 2009 & 2015 College Coach of the Year as selected by USPTA New England and the 2002 College Coach of the Year by USA Tennis New England, Sheehan has done an outstanding job elevating the Terrier women's tennis program to an elite position in the Northeast region. During her tenure, the Terriers have won at least 14 matches 15 times in addition to their consistent postseason success. Her teams have only had three single-digit win seasons since 1988-89.
The program's success has helped Sheehan recruit some of the top players around the world. Since the summer of 2007, TennisRecruiting.net has ranked her recruiting hauls in its top-25 mid-major poll 14 times with six of them placed in the top 10, highlighted by the 2008 class ranking No. 24 overall in the nation.
BU has combined for six major Patriot League year-end awards over the past two years. In 2022-23, BU went an undefeated 5-0 in conference play and posted wins over Cornell, Dartmouth and No. 49 Brown en route to a program record 19-wins season. Freshman Emily Zhao was named the PL Rookie of the Year and Sheehan received her sixth PL Coach of the Year award.
In 2021-22, the Terriers collected a pair of wins over Brown and went undefeated during the regular season in conference play. Victoria Carlsten was named PL Player of the Year, while Emily Kim and Erica Di Battista earned PL Doubles Team of the Year recognition.
In 2020-21, Sheehan was named PL Coach of the Year for the fifth time, as BU won all six PL matches, including the tournament final at Navy, to reach the NCAA tournament for the 18th time. Kaitlin Tan was tabbed PL Rookie of the Year and PL Tournament MVP, while Emily Kim received PL Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition.
During the COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 season, Erica Di Battista made a strong impression as a freshman, claiming three Patriot League Player of the Week awards. She ranked as high as No. 100 nationally in the ITA singles poll after upsetting Syracuse's then-No. 64 Guzal Yusupova in straight sets. Highlighted by the Quinnipiac A Singles Flight title, Di Battista posted a 15-4 singles record to lead the Terriers.
From 2015-17, Sheehan had an individual sweep both Patriot League Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in the same season with Remi Ramos ('19) the last Terrier to accomplish the feat in the spring of 2017. Johanna Hyoty ('16) earned PL Player of the Year honors three times and was twice named PL Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Five-star recruit Shelly Yaloz made a strong impression her first year in 2019, claiming both PL Rookie and Doubles Team of the Year honors.
Ranked as high as No. 122 nationally, Hyoty became the first in the Patriot League since 2003 to be recognized as the Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the same season in 2015 before repeating the feat in 2016. In 2013, then five-star recruit Lauren Davis ranked 15th in the ITA Northeast Regional rankings after posting a team-high 16 singles victories and was the only America East rookie to earn All-Conference First Team accolades. Both Hyoty and Davis were named to the PL 25th Anniversary Team in the fall of 2015 despite only playing in the conference for two years.
A blue chip recruit, two-time America East Player of the Year Stefanie Nunic was named the 2011 ITA Northeast Player to Watch. She went 20-6 in singles and was ranked as high as No. 68 in doubles with Vivien Laszloffy.
At the start of the 2008-09 season, Sheehan was promoted to Director of Tennis, giving her the responsibility of overseeing all tennis operations at Boston University. Finishing with four losses by one point, the 15-6 BU program opened the spring by winning eight of its first nine matches, including three victories over Ivy League opponents.
In the final four matches of the regular season, BU defeated three nationally ranked programs, including then-No. 52 VCU and No. 73 Boston College before flying through the America East tournament with a 4-0 win over UMBC and a 4-1 victory against Binghamton. The Terriers ended the year ranked 59th in the nation after being eliminated by 11th-seed and host UCLA in the first round of the NCAAs. The final ranking allowed BU to represent the America East at the 2010 ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
Sheehan was named head coach on Jan. 31, 1985 in the middle of the season. During her tenure as head coach, the program has been well recognized on both the regional and national levels. During the course of the 1994-95 season, Boston University made its first appearance in the USTA National Rankings, climbing as high as No. 40 and finishing the year ranked fourth in the 94-team Eastern Region.
In recognition of the program's success, the league named Sheehan Coach of the Year in 1989, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Her dedication and commitment to the program extends well beyond the confines of the court and the annual playing season. Since the start of the 1994-95 school year, 70 Terriers have received conference Honor Roll recognition.
One of her former players, Michelle Magid, was voted GTE/CoSIDA National Academic first-team All-America in 1998. In addition, Magid received the 1998 Tennis Magazine/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship Award, which is presented annually to just one male and one female collegiate tennis player.
Sheehan's involvement with Terrier tennis dates back to the fall of 1980, when she commenced a four-year playing career, which is generally considered the finest in Boston University history. Ranked No. 1 in New England, No. 2 in the East and among the top 40 nationally, Sheehan compiled an overall mark of 54-16.
During her junior year, she became the first Boston University women's tennis player to qualify for the NCAA tournament, where she posted a first-round win at Albuquerque, N.M. She closed out her stellar career by receiving an additional invitation to the 1984 NCAA tournament, which was held at UCLA.
A three-time team MVP and two-time captain, Sheehan received the Mildred Barnes Award, presented annually to the University's Outstanding Female Athlete and the Scarlet Key Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a BU undergraduate, during her senior year in 1984.
Following graduation, Sheehan toured on the Pro Satellite Circuit, before returning to her alma mater. In 1990, she received the University's highest form of athletic recognition, induction into the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame, and would later receive the Hall of Fame's William French Award in 2002 for excellence in coaching.
Originally from Reading, Mass., Sheehan currently resides in Stoneham with her daughter, Anna.
