Former Ashland University Football Coach, Lee Owens on his New Book

Former Ashland University coach, Lee Owens, has a new book, which was released back in September.  Owens coached at AU, Akron, Ohio State and at the high school level at several local places, where he won a state title at Galion in 1985.

Lee spent time talking with Aaron Hines from WMAN about the book, how it came to be and being a football coach of a program is like being a CEO.

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ASHLAND, Ohio – Lee Owens, longtime football coach at Ashland University, motivational speaker and team-culture coach, will be back on campus for a special event featuring his new book, “The Spirit of a Team: Successful CEOs and Coaches Share Their Strategies for Achieving Excellence,” on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The event will begin at the Eagles’ Nest inside the Hawkins-Conard Student Center at 10:30 a.m., with Owens reading an excerpt from the book followed by a question-and-answer session. Around 11:30 a.m., Owens will shift to the AU Campus Store, where copies of his book are available for purchase, for a signing and meet-and-greet. Then, fans can head over to Jack Miller Stadium to cheer on the 17th-ranked Eagles’ in their key match-up against No. 11 Findlay at 1 p.m.

“The Spirit of a Team,” which Owens co-authored with award-winning sportswriter Larry Phillips, provides real-life examples of how CEOs, coaches and players have achieved success in the biggest arenas of business and sport. Stories of exemplary leadership come from the likes of Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers head coach; Luke Fickell, University of Wisconsin coach; Dwight Schar, the founder and longtime CEO of NVR, one of the nation’s largest home builders; and many more.

“The Spirit of a Team” includes a foreword by Jim Tressel, the lieutenant governor of Ohio and former Ohio State University coach. The book was released Sept. 2, 2025.

Owens led the AU football team to one of its most successful runs in program history, accumulating a 137-61 record from 2004-22.

The Eagles made six appearances in the NCAA Div. II Championship field (winning three games) and won four conference championships – three in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and one in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference – during his tenure.

Prior to coming to AU, Owens served as a head coach at the University of Akron for nine seasons and coached at four different high schools, including Massillon Washington for four years.

For more information about the event, contact Amanda Brown, director of the Campus Store, at abrown18@ashland.edu or 419-289-5336