DAREN HAYS | HEAD COACH

Coach Hays enters his 10th season leading the Lady Chaps as the third head coach in program history, accumulating an overall record of 398-122 (76.5%). As LCU transitions to the Lone Star Conference this season, they take one Heartland Conference regular season title with them (finished first in the standings twice, but they were ineligible to accept the title in 2014 due to NCAA DII transitioning). The Lady Chaps also won a pair of Heartland Conference Tournament titles (2016, 2017), leading to a pair of NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament appearances

Hays joined the Lady Chaps as they were members of the NAIA and the Sooner Athletic Conference. The 2011 season marked Hays’ first year at the helm of the Lady Chaps. He directed LCU to the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) regular season crown.  The team posted an overall mark of 52-12, advancing to the NAIA National Championships where they made it to the eight-team bracket. In 2012, LCU went 56-8 and claimed another SAC regular season title en route to a second NAIA National Championship appearance. During the following season, LCU was one of the final three teams standing at the NAIA National Championships and finished the season with a 61-10 mark. The Lady Chaps were awarded with a third SAC regular season title and won their lone SAC Tournament title that season.

The son of Larry Hays, Daren returned to the Lubbock Christian University athletic department after spending 11 seasons at Texas Tech University.  Daren spent eight seasons as an assistant baseball coach with the Red Raiders before becoming the Director of Baseball Operations following the 2007 season.

Like Larry and brother Shanon, who coached Texas Tech softball after a pair of seasons leading the Lady Chap program (currently coaches at Oklahoma Christian), Daren's softball experience stems from playing the sport.  He has played on ASA National Championship squads and was invited to the Pan Am Games Trials.

Prior to joining the Texas Tech baseball program, Daren spent eight seasons as head baseball coach at Lubbock Christian University where he posted a 356-163 overall record. He became the first coach in program history to win 300 games in only seven seasons. In his last season at LCU, Daren claimed SAC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Chaps to a 47-17 record and a No. 7 NAIA national ranking. He won 40-plus games in six of his eight seasons at LCU and had two 50-plus-win seasons, leading the Chaparrals to a 52-16 record in 1995 and 52-18 record in 1998.  Hays received NAIA District VIII Coach of the Year honors in 1993 after LCU led the nation in batting average. During his time at LCU, 14 of his players were selected as NAIA All-Americans, four were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 20 of his players were named All-Sooner Athletic Conference.

Daren attended Lubbock Christian University and played baseball for the Chaps.  He graduated in 1989 and was then drafted and played professionally with the Texas Rangers organization.  He is married to the former Kristi McGee of Lubbock, and they have two daughters, Brittany and Brogan.