Kristina Lott was named the Drake women's tennis head coach in August, 2021 after two seasons as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs.
As an assistant, Lott was instrumental in the program’s 2021 Missouri Valley Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. That NCAA berth was the program's their third-ever and first since 2000 after blitzing through the MVC Tournament with three-straight wins. The team also led the athletic department with a 3.82 GPA, the second-highest ever recorded by a Drake athletic team. Lott helped administer every facet of the program from student-athlete development, academics, recruiting, travel and community engagement.
Lott came to Drake in August 2019 after two years as an assistant at Santa Clara where she also assisted in every aspect of the program. She began her coaching career after four years competing on the professional circuit.
Lott was a standout student-athlete at UC Irvine where she was the Big West Player of the Year in 2013 after recording a 23-5 singles record as a senior to help the Anteaters earn a No. 23 national ranking. She was also UC Irvine’s Female Athlete of the Year and was ranked as high as No. 85 nationally to earn a spot in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Lott (nee Smith) is married to current Drake men’s assistant tennis coach Ben Lott. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from UC Irvine and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Santa Clara.
