LCU Record: 548–157 (.777) | NCAA Postseason: 27–5
The 2025–26 season marks Steve Gomez’s 23rd year at the helm of the Lubbock Christian University women’s basketball program and his 13th at the NCAA Division II level. Entering the new campaign, Gomez owns a 548–157 (.777) career record — including a remarkable 27–5 mark in NCAA postseason play — making him one of Division II’s most accomplished and respected head coaches.
The summer of 2025 added another milestone to Gomez’s decorated career, as he served as head coach for USA Basketball’s U16 Women’s National Team, leading Team USA to the FIBA U16 AmeriCup Championship (Gold Medal) in Mexico.
Last season, Gomez guided the Lady Chaparrals to another hallmark year — finishing 32–5 overall, capturing a share of the Lone Star Conference regular-season title (21–1), and winning the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship on the road in Denton, Texas, to earn the program’s fifth NCAA Elite Eight appearance. For his leadership, Gomez was honored as the Noel Johnson Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year.
Since LCU’s transition to NCAA Division II in 2013, Gomez has upheld the program’s tradition of excellence established during its NAIA era. The Lady Chaps’ first season of NCAA postseason eligibility (2015–16) ended in perfection — a 35–0 record and the program’s first NCAA Division II National Championship. Gomez was named WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year and served as a court coach for USA Basketball’s U17 National Team Trials later that summer.
Under his leadership, the Lady Chaps have captured three NCAA Division II national titles (2016, 2019, 2021), made five Elite Eight appearances, and claimed nine conference championships (Heartland and Lone Star). LCU became the first NCAA Division II women’s program to complete two undefeated seasons, going 35–0 in 2015–16 and 23–0 in 2020–21.
Gomez’s arrival at LCU in 2003 transformed the foundation of the program. In his first 10 seasons — all at the NAIA level — LCU qualified for 10 consecutive NAIA Division I National Tournaments, amassing a 234–96 record and establishing itself among the nation’s premier small-college programs. His teams claimed multiple Sooner Athletic and Heartland Conference titles, produced NAIA Fab Four and Elite Eight runs, and set single-season win records before transitioning to NCAA Division II membership in 2015.
Before taking over at his alma mater, Gomez coached at Lubbock Cooper High School (1996–2003), where he led the Pirates to their first state ranking, four playoff appearances, and a district championship in his final season. He began his career at Lubbock Monterey High School (1988–1995) as an assistant boys’ basketball coach.
A 1988 graduate of Lubbock Christian University with a degree in mathematics, Gomez was a standout perimeter shooter for coach John Copeland in the late 1980s and still holds the school’s career free-throw percentage record (.855).
Gomez’s influence on and off the court has defined more than two decades of LCU women’s basketball — a program built on faith, discipline, and championship culture. He and his wife, Shawna, recently celebrated 34 years of marriage and have two sons, Hayden and Landon. Landon serves on the Lady Chaps’ coaching staff, continuing the family’s deep connection to LCU basketball.
My Philosophy of Coaching
My philosophy of coaching is a direct reflection of the things that are most important to me – my faith, my family and a passion for developing teams for competition. As a result of my faith in a God who embodies the perfect balance of justice and love, my main desire as a person and coach is to live as an example of those characteristics. Secondly, because of my love and enjoyment of family, and realizing how similar a team is to a family, I want to help in building lasting relationships – coach to player and player to player – while providing an environment for individuals to improve athletically, academically and spiritually. I want all involved in our basketball program to have a full understanding of success, which will ultimately be measured by the quality and influence of our lives and not only by the result of a single performance or season. I hope to instill self-discipline and a healthy competitive spirit in each of our players as I strive to encourage and bring out the best character traits and physical abilities that each one possesses.
