NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Vicky Chun, Yale University's Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics announced Lynn Leong, the Bulldogs' interim head coach, has been promoted to Brooks G. Ragen Director of Squash and will serve as head coach for both women's and men's teams.

Leong served as the Bulldogs' senior assistant and then associate head coach under Dave Talbott from 2017 until this past February when Talbott retired. She helped build the rosters for both teams over the last three seasons. Her efforts and coaching aided the women's team in its rise to a No. 3 national finish in 2019-20, as well as two All-American selections for the men's team in 2020.

Leong becomes the second Ragen Director of Squash after Talbott. She is the first ever woman to coach the men's squash team at Yale. Leong is the third woman to direct the women's program and the first Asian-American squash head coach at Yale.

"I'm thrilled to have Lynn Leong as the director for our storied squash program. Lynn distinguished herself from an incredibly competitive and talented pool of candidates," said Chun. "I look forward to supporting Lynn and our incredible squash student-athletes."

Leong won two national team championships as a player at Trinity College, from where she graduated in 2005. Since coming to the U.S. from Malaysia in 1999, she has been a two-time Interscholastic individual champion at St. George's School (R.I.) and a three-time, first-team All-American at Trinity. 

"I would like to thank AD Chun, Jason Strong and the hiring committee for their support through this process. In four years here, I have realized what a special place this is, and I cannot wait to build upon the already incredible Squash legacy at Yale," said Leong. "We have a dedicated group of student-athletes and I cannot wait to have them back on the Brady courts and preparing to make strides towards our championship goals."

The former photography major in college started playing squash at her father's club in Malaysia at the age of four and achieved a world professional ranking of 40 by the age of 16. She was the Asian Women's Champion (Jordan, 1996), a finalist in the U19 British Junior Open and a finalist in the World Junior Championship (Belgium, 1999). 



Leong began her coaching career at the Apawamis Club in Rye, N.Y., in August of 2007, working under Hall of Fame squash legend Peter Briggs. She has also served as the Squash Director at the New Haven Lawn Club (NHLC) from 2007-2017. While at the NHLC, she nurtured numerous players to achieve top U.S. junior rankings, including future Yale student-athletes.

Leong, who received her level 3 squash coaching certification from U.S. Squash in 2015, helped coach two runner-up U.S. junior women's teams at the World Junior Championship (2013 and 2015) while serving as the assistant coach.

Leong, who also serves as the chair of the Yale Athletics Community Engagement & Events Subcommittee and is a Davenport College Fellow, lives in Branford, Conn., with her husband, Yiming, and daughter, Blake.