Kara Lail joined Columbia International University in July 2014 as the school's first-ever women's soccer coach. Lail is currently the longest-tenured head coach at CIU and enters the 2026 season in her 12th year leading the women’s soccer program.
Lail is coming off the most successful season in program history in 2025, guiding the Rams to a 13-6-1 overall record and a 9-3-1 mark in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play. For her efforts, Lail was named the 2026 NCCAA South Region Coach of the Year.
Since Lail's first season at CIU in 2015, she has led the Rams to four NCCAA National Tournaments, five NCCAA South Region Tournaments, and four AAC Tournament appearances.
CIU reached the AAC quarterfinals during the 2024 season while advancing to the conference semifinals in 2025 and 2023. The 2023 campaign was another standout year for the program as the Rams finished 13-7-1 overall and 9-4-1 in the AAC while also winning the NCCAA South Region Tournament.
The 2022 season saw the Rams win their first-ever AAC Tournament game with a 1-0 victory over Bryan College (Tenn.) on Nov. 1. To cap off the year, Lail was selected as the NISOA Frank Jewell Award winner, an honor presented annually to an NCCAA coach whose reputation is recognized by soccer officials as praiseworthy and reflective of the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior.
Another notable accomplishment on Lail's resume came in 2020 when she was named the NCCAA South Region Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to a 7-6-1 record following a sub-.500 season the year before.
During her time at CIU, Lail has coached ten NCCAA All-Americans and has overseen a program that has produced more NCCAA Scholar-Athletes than any other team in CIU athletics history.
Lail holds an 99-93-8 career record at CIU.
A native of Rochester, N.Y., Lail came to CIU after serving as the women’s assistant soccer coach at Colorado Christian University. While at CCU, she helped lead the Cougars to the NCCAA Regional Tournament and played an integral role in developing players who earned conference and regional honors in NCAA Division II and the NCCAA. Lail also served as a coach's mentor at Broomfield Soccer Club, assisting with coach and player development.
Prior to her two-year stint at CCU, Lail played collegiately at Roberts Wesleyan College. While at Roberts, she was named to the All-American Mideast Conference Team all four years and earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region honors. She was also recognized as the Champion of Character Award Winner in 2011 and served as the team chaplain for two years and team captain for one season.
In addition to soccer, Lail competed in indoor track and helped lead Roberts’ women’s lacrosse team during its inaugural season. She also spent two summers with the Chicago Eagles, a ministry of Missionary Athletes International, where she was trained in sports ministry and shared the gospel through soccer camps throughout Chicago and in Brazil.
Lail completed her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Colorado Christian University and her Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education from Roberts Wesleyan. She holds a USSF National C Soccer Coaching License and was named to the 2018-19 United Soccer Coaches 30 Under 30 class.
Formerly Kara Farnsworth, Lail married CIU Head Athletic Trainer Ryan Lail in the summer of 2020, and the two reside in Columbia with their sons, Austin and Parker.
