Lauren Lewis Galvani was announced as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Lees-McRae College in April 2024 by Vice President for Athletics and Club Sports Craig McPhail. A 2015 Lees-McRae graduate, Galvani returned to Banner Elk after building one of the top high school programs in North Carolina at Independence High School.
In just her second season leading the Bobcats, Galvani guided Lees-McRae to the 2026 Conference Carolinas Women’s Basketball Championship, marking a milestone achievement for the program and continuing her track record of building winning cultures.
Over nine seasons at Independence, Galvani compiled a 127-95 overall record and engineered the largest program turnaround in the state during that span. She became the school’s all-time winningest coach, earned Southwestern Conference Coach of the Year honors three times, and posted an impressive 95-28 mark over her final five seasons. Her teams made six postseason appearances, reached four conference tournament championship games, advanced to two Sweet Sixteen appearances and one Elite Eight appearance, while also producing three Southwestern Conference Player of the Year recipients. During the 2022-23 season, Independence completed the first undefeated conference season in school history with a 12-0 record and earned top rankings in local and statewide polls across multiple seasons.
“Lees-McRae and the town of Banner Elk is a special place,” said Galvani. “The decision to come to Lees-McRae and play for Coach Michelle Williams was one of the best I’ve ever made. I am so grateful to President Lee King and Craig McPhail for the opportunity to be back on the mountain as head coach of this program.”
“In watching her coach over the years, I have been impressed with her sideline presence, the involvement with her student-athletes on and off the court, the accountability and relationships she has built,” said McPhail. “I am convinced there will be plenty of young women now look at Lees-McRae as a place to continue their basketball career.”
Galvani also serves as an assistant coach for Team Curry Girls Under Armour Association, helping guide one of the nation’s top-ranked grassroots programs on the Under Armour Circuit.
As a student-athlete, Galvani competed in both basketball and softball at Catawba College and Lees-McRae. During the 2013-14 season, she earned all-conference honors after leading Conference Carolinas in three-point percentage and three-pointers made while finishing among the league leaders in scoring. During the 2014-15 season, she served as a student assistant coach for the Bobcat women’s basketball program.
