Pat Lipira
Softball/Volleyball Coach
Missouri Southern (1982-2000, 1981-87)
Former Southern softball and volleyball coach Pat Lipira is the winningest coach in Missouri Southern history (total wins across all sports). Lipira coached the Lions' softball team from 1982-2000 and the volleyball team from 1981-1987. She has a 632-275 (.697) overall record as a softball coach, but compiled a 439-162 (.730) mark while Lions were a member of the MIAA.
In her 12 seasons as a coach in the MIAA, Lipira guided the Lions to six Regional Championship appearances, two Regional Championships, four MIAA Championships and an NCAA Championship in 1992. A five-time MIAA Coach of the Year and two-time Regional Coach of the Year, she was the National Coach of the Year in 1992. She ranks 18th All-time in NCAA history for winning percentage (.697) and her 632 wins rank 29th All-Time in NCAA history. While the volleyball coach at Southern, Lipira racked up 265 wins, the second-most in Southern history in a short seven seasons.
Lipira has served as a professor in the department of Kinesiology at Missouri Southern since arriving on campus in the fall of 1981 and upon retirement as the softball coach in the spring of 2000, she took over as the department head and has served as chair for the past 10 years. A breast-cancer survivor, Lipira helped spearhead the women's basketball Pink-Night initiative that was started three seasons ago and has helped the MSSU Athletic Department raise more than $25,000 over the past three seasons for breast cancer research. She continues to donate countless hours outside of that effort to help breast cancer research.
More over...Dr. Lipira has served as an advisor/confidant/friend to countless numbers of softball players, student-athletes, and students that she has came in contact with during her nearly 30 years of service to Missouri Southern.