WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Dec. 5, 2018) — After a remarkable career as the longest-tenured women's gymnastics head coach in school history, Mary Lewis announced her retirement today, effective in June.
 
"It's been an incredible journey and retiring will be bittersweet," Lewis said. "William & Mary has provided me with a fulfilling career at an exceptional university. I've had the opportunity to work with and get to know some amazing people. Being here allowed me to raise my son around family. Most of all, I've had the pleasure and honor to coach so many remarkable young women. I have loved getting to know them as people, not just athletes, and I will miss that more than anything else."
 
During Lewis' 25-year tenure as the Tribe's head coach, her program distinguished itself with competitive success in the gym and academic excellence in the classroom.
 
A two-time ECAC Coach of the Year (2003-2006), Lewis' six conference championships include three consecutive titles from 2001-03 and back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. W&M also claimed a league crown in 1999.
 
In addition to the championships, Lewis guided W&M to five runner-up finishes at the conference championship meet (1998, 2006, 2010, 2016, 2018) while the Tribe placed first or second during four of the last five seasons.
 
"We'd like to thank Mary for the steady and stable leadership she has provided the program," William & Mary Director of Athletics Samantha K. Huge said. "She has been the foundation of our program for over two decades and has impacted the lives of generations of our student-athletes. I wish her the best as she moves into the next phase of her life." 
 
In addition to the team's collective success, Tribe gymnasts thrived individually under Lewis' tutelage and combined to earn 30 individual ECAC titles, as well as four ECAC Athletes of the Year, two ECAC Specialists of the Year and four ECAC Rookies of the Year. Additionally, Lewis coached 20 different gymnasts to 32 NCAA Regional appearances.
 
The success of Lewis' teams in the gym has been matched with consistent excellence in the classroom. Evidence of this commitment to academic excellence is found in the program's nine NCAA Public Recognition Awards, which honors teams that rank among the top 10 percent of their sport nationally in the most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR). Additionally, Tribe gymnasts have combined to earn 58 NACGC Scholastic All-America honors during the last six seasons (2013-18).
 
Volunteer service has also been a hallmark of Lewis' program throughout her tenure in Williamsburg, as Tribe gymnasts have significantly impacted the local community in many positive ways. Recent annual projects include hosting a Suicide Prevention and Awareness event and volunteering with the JDRF Walk, Mayflower Marathon Food Drive and Patriot Sprint Triathlon.
 
Lewis began her collegiate coaching career as head coach at Longwood in 1991-92. She joined James Madison's staff in 1992 and served as a graduate assistant until 1994, before taking over the program at W&M. 

Lewis graduated Magna Cum Laude from Christopher Newport University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in governmental administration and public management. She completed her master's degree at JMU in kinesiology and adult fitness in May of 1994, graduating Summa Cum Laude.