Alex Garcia joins the Lindenwood football staff for his fourth season in 2025.
In 2024, Garcia guided a defensive unit that led the Big South-OVC Association in fumbles forced with 13 and had first-team all-conference selection Vincent King. Lindenwood accumulated 19 sacks on the year.
The Lions earned just their second shutout since 2015 in a 64-0 win over St. Thomas and defeated then No. 6 SEMO 24-12 on November 9 in Hunter Stadium. In the win over the Redhawks, Lindenwood held Paxton DeLaurent without a touchdown pass for the only time this season.
In 2023, Garcia guided a defensive unit who boasted two all-conference selections in Kobe McClendon and Ethan Stuhlsatz. McClendon finished the year with 6.5 sacks, fourth most in a single season in program history. During the year, Lindenwood garnered a pair of Defensive Player of the Week honors. Garcia helped the defense to its first shutout since 2015 in a 23-0 win over Tennessee Tech during week six of the season. Academically, Lindenwood compiled five CSC Academic All-District selections.
In its first NCAA Division I season, the Lions went 7-3 record, including a 4-1 mark inside Hunter Stadium. Lindenwood picked up a thrilling 21-20 road win over Houston Baptist, as they blocked a punt with 28 seconds left, which was recovered in the end zone for a game-winning score. Lindenwood earned another road victory on October 8 in a 52-49 win over Central Arkansas, which was the start of a four-game winning streak. During that stretch, Lindenwood earned its fist win inside conference play after defeating Murray State in week six. The Lions received votes in the FCS weekly poll on three different occasions during the year. The Lions accumulated 10 all-conference selections and nine OVC weekly accolades, while Kobe McClendon was named a Stats Perform FCS Freshman All-American after an impressive 2022 campaign.
Garcia spent two seasons at Samford University with the defensive line, prior to his stop in St. Charles, Mo.
Garcia spent the 2019 season as the defensive line coach and equipment coordinator at the University of Sioux Falls. At USF, Garcia coached three all-conference players and one Academic All-American.
He spent four seasons at Montana Tech from 2015-18 as a defensive line coach. Garcia produced six Frontier all-conference selections in four years, including three-time first team honoree Tyler Sanders. Defensive end Luke Benz led the Frontier Conference in sacks in 2016. He also coached Chance Hansen who was also a two-time all-league performer, and had 127 sacks over four seasons.
Prior to joining Montana Tech, Garcia spent two years as a graduate assistant at Midland University (Neb.) where he coached the defensive line, and helped produce two all-conference selections.
Prior to coaching at Midland, Garcia was the outside linebacker coach at NCAA DIII Elmhurst College for two years. Elmhurst’s 2012 team finished 10-2 and won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. They finished with a No. 8 ranking in the country.
Garcia received a degree in philosophy with a minor in educational studies from Elmhurst College. Garcia and his wife Mary-Kate reside in the St. Charles area.
