Evangel University Athletics

Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

Leon Neal

Leon Neal

Head Coach

(417) 865-2815 ext. 7505
Email Coach Neal - School Bio

Leon Neal will enter his 18th year as the head coach of Evangel’s women’s basketball team in 2011-12 and his 14th year on the women’s basketball staff at EU.

The 54-year old has been named Heart of America conference Coach of the Year six times in his career and brings a career record of 370-190 (.660) into this season. Neal has guided the Evangel women’s program to nine NAIA national tournament appearances and two Final Fours.

As a player, Neal was Evangel’s first NAIA All-American and was an All-District selection for the Crusaders from 1976-78. His 782 points scored during the 1977-78 season still ranks as the second highest point total scored in a single season in Evangel men’s basketball history. He started his collegiate career at Cuesta Junior College in San Luis Obispo, California, where he was a junior college All-American.

On Feb. 6, 2010, Neal had his jersey number #44 retired along with his daughter NaTasha, who also wore #44 during her four-year career with the women’s team from 2001-05. Neal coached his daughter to four HAAC Championships, four NAIA national tournament appearances, three national quarterfinals and a Final Four appearance in 2005.

Following his playing career for the Crusaders, Neal turned down NBA training camp offers to play for Athletes In Action, a touring Christian team, from 1978-79. He then put together a 7-year professional playing career in Portugal that saw him average at least 24 points per game each season and earn a playoff MVP award. Playing for Porto, his team won two national championships and played in the European Cup Championships twice. Neal won MVP honors for his 44-point game in one of the national championship finals. His Sangalhos team was the national runner up for two seasons. In addition, he coached the Sangalahos women’s basketball team for three years, accumulated a 77-6 record, and advanced to the national finals twice.

He returned to Evangel and completed his degree in 1989. Neal served as an assistant with the men’s basketball program in addition to being the women’s assistant coach. He served as the co-head coach of the women’s program with Lynn Bowen for five seasons starting in 1994-95. The duo combined for a 114-53 record during that span.

An excellent motivator and teacher with a great personal testimony, Neal is also active away from the Ashcroft Center. He has worked with the Springfield Police Department’s Gang Task Force, he speaks to several youth groups and various athletic groups on drug and alcohol abuse, gives private basketball lessons to area athletes, and coaches in several basketball camps during the summer. Neal has served as the head coach of an area AAU team that is comprised of sophomores and juniors. His teams have advanced to the national AAU tournament six times.

A native of Los Angeles, California (Crenshaw High School), Neal and his wife, (assistant coach) Dawn, have a daughter, NaTasha, who graduated from Evangel in the summer of 2005. Tasha (Neal) Moore lives in the Dallas, Texas area with her husband Anthony and their two sons.

Coaching History

Coaching Highlights

Playing History

Dawn Neal

Dawn Neal

Assistant Coach

(417) 865-2815 ext. 7421
Email Coach Neal - School Bio

Dawn Neal will be in her 13th consecutive year as assistant coach with the women’s basketball program in 2011-12. Coaching alongside her husband, she has been part of seven conference championships, eight NAIA national tournament appearances and nine 20-win seasons.

Coach Dawn was a member of the Evangel volleyball and basketball teams from 1978-80. Like her husband, she also had a professional playing career in Portugal and played for five seasons. She returned to Evangel and completed her degree in 1997 and earned a master’s degree from Drury University in 2005.

Neal has served as an interim head volleyball coach at Evangel in 1997 and was co-head coach of the program with Mary Whitehead in 2000. She was a student assistant coach with the women’s basketball team from 1995-97.

She and her husband Leon have one daughter, NaTasha (Neal) Moore, who also had a standout playing career for Evangel from 2001-05. Tasha and her husband Anthony reside in the Dallas area with their two sons.

Whitney Walker

Whitney Walker

Assistant Coach

Email Coach Walker - School Bio

Whitney (Pollard) Walker enters her first year with the Evangel women’s program as a graduate assistant coach. Whitney was a standout player for the program and was an all-conference selection in her senior season in 2009-10, helping the Crusaders to a conference championship and NAIA-I National Tournament appearance.

A product of Glendale High School in Springfield, Whitney played at Hannibal-LaGrange before transferring to Evangel for her junior and senior seasons. She married former Evangel football player Jermaine Walker and the two have a one-year old daughter.

Phillip Wilson

Phillip Wilson

Student Assistant

Phillip Wilson starts his third season of work with the women’s basketball program this year. The Raytown, Missouri, native is majoring in International Multi-Cultural Communications and is looking at joining the Army following graduation. Wilson played basketball, baseball and was on the swim team in high school.

Caitlin Russell

Caitlin Russell

Student Assistant

Caitlin Russell completed her eligibility last season and enters the 2011-12 season as a student assistant coach. Russell ended her playing career ranked 12th on Evangel’s all-time scoring list with 1,230 career points and third all-time in three-pointers made. She was a first team all-conference selection last year and an honorable mention NAIA-I All-American. Originally from Greenfield, Missouri, Russell was a standout at Hillcrest High School in Springfield and left the program as its all-time leading scorer.

Ashlee Luko

Ashlee Luko

Student Assistant

Ashlee Luko ended her playing career last year and steps into a role as a student assistant coach this season. Last year, Luko became the fourth player in program history to be named an NAIA All-America for a third time. She was the 2010-2011 HAAC Player of the Year and was a first team all-conference selection. Luko ended her college career as Evangel’s 10th all-time leading scorer, 6th all-time assist leader and 10th all-time leader in three-pointers made. The Nixa product was an all-state selection in Class 5 and was named the News-Leader Female Prep Athlete of the Year in 2007.