Lenti enters his first year on the UIC softball staff as an assistant coach / special advisor to the head coach in the fall of 2025. Lenti, an NFCA Hall of Famer, joins the UIC staff following a five-year career at Auburn University as an assistant coach. While with the Tigers, Lenti helped lead the team to a 155-92-1 record and four NCAA regional appearances.
Prior to his time at Auburn, Lenti coached locally in Chicago and is well known for his time spent as DePaul University's all-time winningest head coach during his 37-year tenure with the Blue Demons. Between his time as coach from 1980-87 and again from 1990-2018, Lenti won 1,327 games, was named part of the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year six times, C-USA Coach of the Year once, Mid-Continent Conference (The Summit League) Coach of the Year three times, and North Star Conference Coach of the Year once.
"Bringing Coach Lenti back to Chicago is a full-circle moment for me," said
Megan Coronado. "I had the privilege of playing for him and leaning on him as a mentor in my other coaching endeavors, and now I get to coach alongside one of the winningest coaches in NCAA softball history. His legacy, leadership, and love for the game will be instrumental as we build something special here at UIC."
Additionally, Lenti was named C-USA Women's Coach of the Decade in 2005 and C-USA Softball Coach of the Decade. In 1999, he was named the NFCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Demons to a 54-win season, breaking the school record. During that record-breaking season, the team reached the semifinals of the Women's College World Series (WCWS).
During his tenure at the helm of DePaul softball, Lenti led the team to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, with four trips to the WCWS.
