MOUNT VERNON – Accomplished Division III assistant and state championship high school coach Francis Lee has been named Cornell College's new head women's soccer coach.
Lee comes to the Hilltop following a successful five-year run at Simpson College, where she helped the Storm to two NCAA Tournament appearances. The Fort Dodge native is fresh off a Class 2A Iowa State Championship as head girls coach at North Polk High School.
"The people at Cornell made me feel like I made a really good decision," Lee said. "I'm excited to dive in and let my passion show. I'm ready for the new challenge and ready to make a difference. I feel like I can be part of something special here."
Lee played a key role in shaping Simpson into a perennial American Rivers Conference title contender. The Storm compiled a 67-24-9 record – including a 32-8 mark in league play – with five consecutive top-3 finishes in the A-R-C regular season. Simpson reached the A-R-C Tournament finals three straight years from 2022-24.
Lee helped guide the Storm to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 2023 (16-3-2) and 2024 (15-3-3), advancing to the second round both years. Simpson was recognized as the 2022 A-R-C Coaching Staff of the Year and landed the program's first all-American that season. The Storm fielded the A-R-C Player of the Year twice and A-R-C Newcomer of the Year once during Lee's stay in Indianola.
"We are very excited to have Francis join our team. Her passion for soccer, coaching and impacting young people was immediately apparent," Cornell Director of Athletics Jeff Meeker said. "The combination of her college, high school and club experiences has prepared her well for this role. Francis' connections will provide the foundation for recruiting as we strive to build this program to a championship level."
Lee fashioned a glossy 74-20-3 record over five seasons leading North Polk's program, capped by the school's first-ever state soccer championship in June 2026. The Comets qualified for the state tournament four times under Lee's direction, including a runner-up finish in 2024.
Lee was honored as the 2026 IGCA Class 2A Coach of the Year. In 2024, she earned IHSSCA Coach of the Year and IGCA District Coach of the Year accolades. Lee's a three-time Raccoon River Conference Coach of the Year.
With a proven track record, Lee plans to instill the winning mentality into her new Rams.
"Cornell has the support and facilities to be successful," Lee said. "We're not going to back down from anything. I'm going to fight for our players and be true to myself."
Lee earned a bachelor's degree in sports and recreation management from William Penn University in 2018. She was a four-year starter and two-year team captain for the Statesmen. Lee received a master's in recreation and sport pedagogy with a coaching concentration from Ohio University in 2021.
Lee played for Johnston Urbandale Soccer Club from 2011-14, and then returned as coach of the Sporting Iowa Soccer Club (U13, U16, U18/19) from 2019-26. She was inducted into the Sporting Iowa Soccer Club Hall of Fame in 2023.
In 2018-19, Lee was female youth soccer development director and coach for the United States Virgin Islands Soccer Association. She coached the U15 and U17 national teams and organized the first-ever youth girls soccer league on the island.
Lee graduated from Fort Dodge High School as the program's No. 2 all-time scoring leader.
