Kayla Lucas joined the Central Arkansas softball staff as a full-time assistant coach for the 2022 season after spending a year with the Bears as a volunteer assistant in 2021. And in those four years as a full-time staff member, it's been nothing short of success. Under Lucas's tutelage, the Bears have finished with a top-three seed in the ASUN every year since joining the conference, and have held a top-50 fielding percentage in the country as well, garnering a reputation for being a technically sound defense. In four seasons in Conway, Lucas has helped coach 28 All-ASUN athletes, including three-straight ASUN Defensive Players of the Year.
Following the 2025 season and the retirement of longtime Bear Jenny Parsons, Lucas was named the fifth head coach in program history on May 28, 2025.Â
The 2025 season was a rebuilding year for the Bears, with four freshmen as full-time starters and a top-20 strength of schedule. Central Arkansas finished the season 28-27, improving steadily over the season and posting a 16-7 ASUN record, including three series sweeps. The Bears claimed 11 postseason honors, including Defensive Player of the Year (Madi Young) and Freshman of the Year (Addie Graham). With Lucas coaching the hitting and defense, the Bears posted a .289 batting average and turned an ASUN best 28 double plays.
After graduating seven starters from the 2023 team, the Bears battled in 2024 after returning only three full-time starters and zero innings of pitching. With seven new starters and only three players logging all 53 games, the Bears went 15-7-1 in the ASUN to claim the league's third seed, and earned three all-conference nods and the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year (Kylie Griffin).
Lucas and the Bears finished the 2023 season with a program-record 45 wins, claiming the ASUN regular season and tournament championships, earning the program's first outright titles as members of the league. The Bears also clinched their first regional appearance since 2015, defeating Long Island University for the school's first NCAA Tournament win. Lucas was instrumental in the defensive development for the Bears, helping the team to back-to-back seasons with a top-10 fielding percentage in the country. After finishing 7th in the country in 2022, the 2023 defense improved even more, thanks in part to the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year Madi Young. The 2023 team finished its season with the 5th-best fielding percentage in the country, helping an already great pitching staff put together the nation's 3rd-lowest ERA.
The 2022 season, Lucas' first as a full-time assistant, saw the Bears repeat with 37 wins, earning an ASUN West Division Title in the program's first season with the conference. After falling in the semifinals of the ASUN Championship, the Bears would go on to take third place at the National Invitational Softball Championship, defeating Power Five teams like Virginia and Kansas. Under Lucas' guidance, freshman third baseman Kylie Griffin would be named to the ASUN's All-Freshman Team after hitting .339 with six extra base hits and five stolen bases. More impressively, the first-year started all 58 games at the hot corner and committed zero errors, successfully fielding all 95 opportunities.
As a volunteer assistant for the 2021 season, she helped Central Arkansas to a 37-19 record and a Southland Conference Tournament Runner-Up finish.
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Prior to UCA, Lucas spent five seasons as the head coach at Young Harris College. She coached the Mountain Lions to four NCAA Division II Softball National Tournaments, including an appearance in the National Championship game in 2019. Her 2019 squad posted a program-best 44 wins and earned a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The 2019 team finished with a No. 4 ranking in the NFCA NCAA Division II Top-25 poll. Under her guidance in 2019, her staff earned the NFCA NCAA Division II Southeast Region Staff of the Year.
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Before the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19, her team was ranked No. 1 in the NFCA NCAA Top-25 poll. They started the season 19-3. During her tenure at YHC, she coached  48 PBC All-Academic selections, 21 All-PBC Conference honorees, seven CoSIDA Academic All-District III Softball first-team selections, 5 NFCA All-Region players, 3 D2CCA All-Region student-athletes, 1 PBC Freshman of the Year, 1 CoSIDA Academic All-America, and 1 PBC Elite 15 selection. She holds an overall record of 173-78.Â
The Marion, Arkansas, native received a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Central Baptist College. Lucas received her Master's degree in Exercise Science/Human Performance from Georgia College and State University.
