Feature: Lisa Zamroz Is Ready to Meet the Moment

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the November edition of The Mustang Connection magazine. As an update, TMU Women’s Basketball is 22-0 and ranked No. 3 in the country heading into Saturday’s matchup with No. 5 Westmont. 

 There’s something you should know about Lisa Zamroz. A few things, really.  

 It’s true she had no head coaching experience when she agreed to lead The Master’s University women’s basketball team in April. But … that’s a bit misleading.  

 Yes, she’d never held the title of head coach or had the final say in a huddle. But over the past 15 years, she’s acquired the skills, knowledge and maturity necessary to meet the challenge.  

 She knows how to connect with college basketball players because she once stood in their shoes. As an assistant coach, she has recruited, scouted and play-called. She’s benefitted from exceptional mentors. And she knows and embraces the culture of TMU Athletics, where winning is crucial, but discipleship is the priority.  

 So, if Zamroz already looks comfortable in her new role, now you know why.

***

As a kid, Zamroz often accompanied her older brother, Brian, to his flag football practices. There, she inevitably ended up in foot races against the boys.  

That competitive fire never died.  

Zamroz played basketball and ran track at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, earning all-state honors in hoops. She chose TMU because it offered a premier NAIA basketball program and an environment where she’d grow spiritually.  

As a freshman, she started at point guard. Her coaches, Ken Sugarman and Dan Waldeck, knew the pressure she was under and invested extra time in teaching Zamroz and boosting her confidence.   

She grew into the role. That season, Zamroz averaged 8.9 points and 3.1 assists, helping Master’s earn a trip to the NAIA national tournament.  

Sugarman and Waldeck showed concern for Zamroz off the court, too. They asked her about classes, friends, life. “Anything but basketball,” she says. Zamroz still has the notebook she used to scribble down her thoughts during team Bible studies. In those early college years, she felt challenged to make her beliefs her own. It wasn’t enough that her family believed in Christ. It had to be her faith.  

Then, she left.  

***

It’s important to note that Zamroz didn’t want to leave TMU. She loved her friends. She was growing spiritually. But after her sophomore year, Zamroz’s family was going through a difficult time, she says, and she wanted to be close to home. So, she transferred to Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City.  

The Eagles already had a point guard, so Zamroz shifted to shooting guard. It was a natural fit. As a senior, she knocked down nearly 40% of her three-point attempts, averaging 9.3 points on a team that advanced to the NAIA national quarterfinals.  

Before those kinds of games – big games – Zamroz admits she often felt nervous, something that now allows her to empathize with a young Mustang team. Nine of Zamroz’s 13 players this year are freshmen.  

Before TMU’s season opener in October, Zamroz told the group that feeling nervous was natural. But, “when the game starts, there’s no room for nerves or fear. We want to allow that nervous energy to propel us into effort and competitive greatness,” she said. The players responded with an impressive showing against an Azusa Pacific team that entered the season ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division 2.   

Here’s another way Zamroz can relate to her players: She knows how difficult it can be to balance class, church, sports and a social life.  

“One of her strengths is that she’s been here. She’s been in our shoes,” says senior forward Rebekah Throns.  

***  

Spoiled. That’s how Zamroz describes her experiences as an assistant coach. It’s hard to argue.  

In 2011, Zamroz joined the coaching staff at Oklahoma Christian. In 35 seasons, head coach Stephanie Findley has won more games (623 and counting) than any women’s basketball coach at a four-year college in Oklahoma state history. Still, she was more than willing to give Zamroz significant responsibilities. Over the next five years, Zamroz played a crucial role in seemingly everything. Recruiting. Analyzing game film. Designing practice. You name it.  

“That gave me confidence for when the TMU job came open,” Zamroz says. “No, I haven’t done the head coaching piece, but I’ve had a hand in it all along.”  

In 2019, after returning to California, Zamroz worked under Dan Waldeck, who had taken over TMU’s head coaching job a decade earlier. In 13 seasons, Waldeck won more than 250 games. But working with him, Zamroz says she was most impressed with Waldeck’s focus on the Mustangs’ spiritual growth. “It reiterated to me what coaching at a place like Master’s is all about,” she says.  

Zamroz’s coaching relationships remain strong. After Waldeck stepped away following the 2020-21 season, he encouraged Zamroz to apply for the opening. And when she accepted the position in April, Findley gave a glowing recommendation.   

“TMU made a great choice,” Findley said in a news release. “You can’t find a better high-character, basketball IQ person than Lisa.”

***  

Zamroz is adamant that a focus on discipleship and a commitment to winning aren’t mutually exclusive. She’s still competitive; she wants Master’s to be elite. In practice, she demands hustle and constant communication. Players must arrive on time. Extra running serves as an excellent motivator.  

This season presents an interesting challenge. The Mustangs, ranked No. 24 in the NAIA’s preseason coaches poll, feature a mix of veterans and young players, and Zamroz must find the balance between giving freedom to play fast and providing the structure an inexperienced team needs.   

For the first time, it will be up to Zamroz to make it all work. She’s OK with that. The past 15 years have prepared her to meet the moment.  

Learn more about The Master's Way, here.