SMU Athletics

McKenzie Lantz embraces her fourth season at SMU (2020-21), and third as Associate Head Coach after serving as the Mustangs' Assistant Coach for Western in 2017-18. While at SMU, Lantz has coached four NCEA All-Americans, two NCEA Riders of the Year and was named the 2020 Conference Assistant Coach of the Year.

In her third year at SMU (2019-20), Lantz led the Western team to an impressive 8-2 record before the postseason championships were cancelled due to COVID-19. The one-loss Horsemanship squad finished at No. 2 in the final NCEA rankings while Reining was No. 3. Lantz coached three western riders to NCEA All-America honors: Dani Latimer (Second Team Reining), Megan Waldron (Second Team Horsemanship) and Lily Anderson (Honorable Mention Horsemanship). The Horsemanship selections were the program’s first for the event. Other western accolades included two ECAC Riders of the Year (Waldron and Latimer), two ECAC Freshmen Riders of the Year (Anderson and Latimer) and seven All-Conference selections, including a sweep of the Reining team. Lantz’s work led to her being selected as the ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year.

During her second season (2018-19), Lantz led the SMU Reining squad to NCEA Event Finals, where they finished as National Championship Runners Up. There, rider Madison Steed earned a spot on the All-Championship Tournament Team and won Most Outstanding Rider - Reining. Lantz's Western riders notched four All-UEC nods in 2018-19 action: Haylee Schoonover (Horsemanship), Ashley Mauney (Horsemanship), Holly Lansidel (Reining) and Steed (Reining). Steed was also named NCEA Co-Rider of the Year in Reining. She also helped the Mustangs make history as they won a second UEC Championship title in Martin, Tennessee, and became the only team to triumph with the conference title twice, and the first team to win the trophy while not being the host school. 

In her first season leading SMU's western team (2017-18), Lantz helped coach the Mustangs to the program's first ever United Equestrian Conference championship. SMU's horsemanship and reining squads had their best seasons in school history, highlighted by sophomore Holly Lansidel earning NCEA First Team All-America honors and being named NCEA Reining Rider of the Year. Lansidel went 15-2-1 as a sophomore and is the first SMU western rider to be named for either award. Lantz also coached rising senior Madison Steed to a championship at the 2018 National Reining Horse Association's Collegiate Challenge in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Before arriving on the Hilltop, Lantz spent two years at Fresno State, where she served as the Western coach. In her second season (2016-17), Horsemanship was the strongest event for the Bulldogs, as they went 41-24-8 in competitions. In Reining, the Bulldogs went 32-41-3.

In 2016-17, the team went 9-8 overall (4-1 UEC), won the consolation finals in the UEC postseason tournament and reached the second round of the NCEA National Championship tournament for the second time. During the season, the Bulldogs took down two No.1-ranked teams for the first time in program history and were ranked as high as No. 5 nationally. Senior western rider Taylor Brown was named NCEA First Team All-America in Reining for the third time and NCEA Second Team All-America in Horsemanship for the second time. Junior Rachel Williams earned an NCEA Second Team All-America selection in Horsemanship, her second NCEA yearly honor. Brown was also named the UEC Reining Rider of the Year and UEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year, while freshman Shea Gilson was chosen as the UEC Freshman Reining Rider of the Year. During the season, a Bulldog was named NCEA Rider of the Month four times and UEC Rider of the Month seven times, both program records.

In her first season at Fresno State in 2015-16, the team went 4-10 (4-2 UEC) and fell in the first round of the NCEA National Championship tournament. Junior western rider Taylor Brown was named NCEA First Team All-America in Reining and sophomore Taylor Dixon was chosen for the NCEA All-America Second Team for her performances in Horsemanship. UEC Riders of the Year included Brown for Reining and Dixon for Horsemanship. Taeya Harle was named UEC Freshman Rider of the Year for Horsemanship. During the season, a Bulldog was named NCEA Rider of the Month three times and UEC Rider of the Month four times.

The two-time NCEA All-American and SEC Rider of the Year was appointed to the Non-Pro National Reining Horses Association committee and has established beneficial contacts in both the NRHA and American Quarter Horse Association. As a team captain, her collegiate career was highlighted with a National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) Rider of the Year accolade, along with being named a two-time UGA Western Most Valuable Player and a National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity Finalist.

Eager to contribute her extensive background in the western equine industry, the Fremont, Mich., native acted as a volunteer temporary coach at her alma mater, where she gained valuable experience in strategic development and team management.

Lantz brings a wealth of knowledge to the team as a graduate from Georgia in December 2014. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in education with an emphasis in sports management while earning SEC Honor Roll, First Team All-American Academic honors (2014) and was a two-time Dean's List recipient (2013, 2014).