Bethany Lutheran College Athletics

Lyle Jones begins his 21st season as the Bethany women's basketball coach in 2022-23. He coached the Vikings from 1991-2003 before taking over again in 2014-15. In 20 completed seasons, he has compiled a 374-162 record, winning three Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tournament championships, three UMAC regular season championships, three Minnesota Community College Conference State championships, eight MCCC Southern Division titles, which included a stretch of six straight from 1997-98 to 2002-03, and two National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIII titles.
 
The 2019-20 season marked the best season in history for the Bethany women’s basketball program during the NCAA era. The Vikings finished with an overall record of 24-4, which set the season wins record. The Vikings won the regular season UMAC Championship for the first time in program history and won the UMAC conference tournament championship to make the second-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

BLC upset then-No. 6/6 Bethel in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament for the program's first win in the Big Dance. Hanna Geistfeld was named Second-team All-American by D3hoops.com for the 2020-21 season. Geistfeld was then named First-Team All-American in the 2021-22 season by D3hoops.com and the WBCA. 

Jones was named UMAC Coach of the Year (2019, 2020, 2022), MCCC Coach of the Year (1994, 1995), NJCAA Regional Coach of the Year (2001, 2002), and Women's Basketball Coaches Association District 4 Coach of the Year (1995) where he was one of seven finalists for national coach of the year.
 
Under Jones, Bethany teams were ranked in the national polls and were in the top ten in the nation in offense and defense each season. He coached 10 NJCAA and KODAK All-Americans.
 
Jones is also an Associate Professor at Bethany in the Health and Human Performance department.

Under Jones (DIII Era)