Entering his 18th season at the helm of the Southeastern Louisiana women’s soccer program, Lady Lion head coach Blake Hornbuckle has helped the program establish itself as one of the elite programs in the Southland Conference and the state of Louisiana.
A six-time Louisiana Coach of the Year and three-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year, as well as the school's all-time leader in victories, Hornbuckle has guided Southeastern to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2013, three Southland Conference tournament titles, four regular-season crowns and nine SLC Tournament championship game appearances. Hornbuckle took over a program that had compiled a 15-40 record before his arrival and has helped Southeastern up their all-time mark to above the .500 mark
Hornbuckle’s squad posted a school-record 15 wins in 2003, when the Lady Lions earned their second straight Southland Conference regular season title and third in the last five seasons. After leading the 2003 squad to a 15-2-4 record and a undefeated 9-0-3 SLC mark, Hornbuckle was named LSWA Coach of the Year for a third time. Hornbuckle guided the Lady Lions to a 12-win season in 2002. In 2006, he was named SLC Coach of the Year, guiding the team to an 11-4-4 record and 5-0-3 league mark.
In 2009, the team made its first appearance in the NCAA College Cup with Hornbuckle again earning LSWA Coach of the Year honors. He repeated as Louisiana’s top coach in 2010 and also earned the same honor from the SLC, as he led the Lady Lions to a Southland regular season title and a school-record tying 15 victories. After Southeastern won the Southland Conference Tournament in 2013 and earned its second NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, Hornbuckle was again named the Louisiana Coach of the Year.
Hornbuckle's success has been evident on the field as he has produced 115 all-conference players, 79 All-Louisiana selections, four conference and Louisiana players-of-the-year, five conference newcomer-of-the-year, five Louisiana newcomer-of-the-year, four SLC freshmen-of-the year and five Louisiana freshmen-of-the-year athletes.
Among the players under his tutelage were CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-District selection Kim Kwolek, who was named the 1999 recipient of the F.L. McDonald Academic Scholarship, given to the female student-athlete in the Southland Conference with the highest grade point average. In 2009, Dana Mayer earned the F.L. McDonald Post Graduate Scholarship and received the President’s Medal for Academic Excellence. In the past six seasons, Southeastern has placed nine student-athletes on the NSCAA All-South Region Scholar teams and earned Team Academic and Ethics Awards in recent seasons.
In 2003, forward Kendra Oney became the first player in Southland Conference history to be named to the Soccer Buzz Magazine All-Central Region Team and was selected the SLC Player of the Year. In addition, midfielder Alexis Tramacchi was named the SLC Women's Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year. In 2006, Kari Yost was named both Southland Conference Player of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year. Mayer earned Southland Student-Athlete of the Year honors in 2009.
In 2010, Lacey Bockhaus was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year and was joined on the NSCAA All-Central Region team by Natalie Santana and Maiya Cooper. The Lady Lions also excelled in the classroom, as five student-athletes were named to the Southland All-Academic team, led by 2010 Southland Student-Athlete of the Year Kyle MacIntosh. Cooper was the first repeat All-Region selection in school history in 2011, while MacIntosh was one of three Southland All-Academic selections and was named an All-South Region Scholar for the second straight season.
Bockhaus was named the Louisiana Player of the Year in 2012 and finished her career as the Southland career leader in shutouts, while Cooper became the second student-athlete in league history to earn All-Region honors three times. The 2013 season saw goalkeeper Hope Sabadash earn first team All-Region honors, while Shanyce Shaw and Kelsey Salcido were both named to the third team. Casey Peacock also represented the Lady Lions on the CoSIDA Academic All-District VI and All-Region Scholar teams. In 2014, senior defender Chelsea Villaescusa represented SLU on the All-Region team as a second team selection, while Sabadash was named a finalist for the AWK Golden Glove Award – awarded to the nation’s top goalkeeper.
In his first season as head coach, Hornbuckle took the Lady Lions to the SLC Championship Game where they defeated host Stephen F. Austin, 1-0, to cap an 8-10-2 campaign. For his efforts, Hornbuckle was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year.
The 1999 squad posted a 7-2-3 mark in SLC games during the season and won the conference's regular-season title for the first time in school history. Along the way to 11 victories, Hornbuckle's crew ripped off a 13-game unbeaten streak (9-0-4), which was fifth-best in the nation, and finished with a final record of 11-4-5. For his leadership, Hornbuckle was named as the 1999 Coach of the Year by both the LSWA and the Southland Conference.
The Lady Lions continued their winning ways in 2000, establishing a school record for wins (13). Seven players earned All-Conference honors with Cory Cochrane earning Freshman of the Year honors by both the Southland Conference and LSWA, giving the Lady Lions three straight honorees by both organizations.
In 2001, Southeastern advanced to the SLC championship match for the fifth straight year. Senior Becca Weingartner became the school's all-time leader in points, goals and assists and became the first player to be named First team All-SLC four times.
The 2002 squad won the SLC regular season title and set school records for goals (58), goals per game (2.76), points (167) and assists (51). Hornbuckle's squad featured five All-SLC performers and three All-Louisiana selections, led by transfer Kim McNally. McNally rewrote the school and SLC record books on the way to earning SLC and Louisiana Newcomer of the Year honors.
Due to a rash of injuries and the loss of six starters in 2005, the Lady Lions suffered a 3-11-1 season. The Lady Lions bounced back in 2006, shutting out a school-record 11 opponents and allowing only two goals in conference play. In 2007, Southeastern posted another double-digit victory total, finishing 10-7-3 and advancing to the SLC semifinals behind SLC and Louisiana Newcomer of the Year Kristin McDonald. In 2008, the Lady Lions posted an 11-6-2 record and advanced to the Southland Tournament semifinals. Jenna Oney was named the Southland and LSWA Newcomer of the Year.
The 2009 season saw the Lady Lions finish 13-5-2, win the Southland Conference Tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to national seed Florida State in the opening round. Mayer was joined on the first team All-Southland Conference team by Southland Conference Tournament MVP Bockhaus, Louisiana Freshman of the Year Cooper, Santana and Candice Wallace. The team set or matched school and league single-season records for fewest goals allowed (13), shutouts (13) and lowest goals against average (0.63).
The Lady Lions came back with a 15-3-3 showing in 2010, tying a school record for single-season victories and advancing to the Southland Conference Tournament final. Bockhaus, the league’s Player of the Year, was one of a league-high five Lady Lions on the All-Southland first team, along with Cooper, Santana, MacIntosh and Karly Dagys. Bockhaus finished the season as the Southland career record holder in shutouts, while Santana established a then-new league standard for assists.
The 2011 season saw Southeastern post another double-digit win campaign under Hornbuckle, as the Lady Lions finished 11-7-1. Cooper and MacIntosh were repeat first team All-Southland selections, while Salcido joined the pair on the All-Southland squad. Dagys was named to the All-Southland team as an honorable mention selection, after setting a single-season school record with 12 assists.
In 2012, Cooper was named first team All-Southland Conference for the fourth straight season and became the first player in school history to post four straight seasons of double-digit goals. Dagys also established herself as the school’s all-time leader in assists and Bockhaus set the new Southland standard for career shutouts.
The 2013 Lady Lions picked up shootout victories over Oral Roberts and Stephen F. Austin to claim the Southland Conference Tournament championship and the league’s automatic bid. Tournament MVP and Southland Freshman of the Year Sabadash was joined on the All-Region team by Salcido and Shaw. Sabadash, Salcido, Shaw, Villaescusa, Erin Christ and Bri Singh were all named to the All-Southland teams.
The 2014 squad finished 12-8 overall and once again advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament. Singh led the Southland Conference with 13 goals scored and was joined on the All-Southland Conference team by Villaescusa, Katie Noonan, Maggie Ramsey, Jen Babcock and Christ.
Prior to arriving in Hammond, Hornbuckle was an assistant coach at the College of Charleston, where he helped lead the Cougars to a berth in the 1996 NCAA National Tournament. At Charleston, Hornbuckle was responsible for a variety of aspects within the program, including fund raising and the Ralph Lundy Soccer Academy that served over 2,000 campers a year.
Hornbuckle began his coaching career at his alma mater, Maryville (Tenn.) College, by taking on the role of assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs from 1991-93.
He then moved to Brewton-Parker (Ga.) College in 1994 as an assistant for both the men’s and women’s teams.. He joined the staff at the Stone Mountain Youth Soccer Association in Georgia in 1995 and later that year, took over as head men's soccer coach at Sue Bennett College in London, Ky. He led SBC to its best record ever, 10-7-2, and a NAIA sectional playoff berth, along with an appearance in the Small College National Tournament.
Hornbuckle graduated from Maryville College in 1991 with a degree in Business Management. A star defender on the men's soccer team, he was named one of the school's Players of the 1990's in 2006. He went on to receive his Master's of Education degree in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) University in 1993.
Hornbuckle also served a three-year term on the NCAA Central Region Advisory Committee. In 2009, he was named as the NSCAA Central Region Chair for the All-America Committee.The Central Region encompasses the Southland Conference, Big XII, Conference USA and SWAC. In 2012, he was named the NSCAA Women's Soccer Division I National Chair for the All America Committee. He holds a United States Soccer Federation "A" License (USSF) and National Soccer Coaches' Association of America (NSCAA) diploma. Hornbuckle also owns a USSF Youth Soccer License.
Hornbuckle is married to the former Becky Bradburn, also a Southeastern employee. They have two daughters - Anna Grace (born December 2005) and Ella (born November 2009) - and reside in the greater Hammond area.
