IWLCA Names 2024 Coaching Staff of the Year Recipients

17 Institutions Recognized

The IWLCA has announced the 2024 National and Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year in Division I, II, and III. The NAIA Coaching Staff of the Year has been announced as well. All four National Coaching Staff of the Year honorees earned a National Title this past season. All winners will be honored at the IWLCA Convention which is set to take place this November at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel in Tampa, Florida.

The IWLCA Coaching Staff of the Year Award honors one National and multiple Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year from each NCAA Division and a National Coaching Staff of the Year from the NAIA. Ahead of the 2024 season, the IWLCA Board of Directors approved changing the name of this award to recognize the entire coaching staff, rather than individual coaches.

IWLCA National Coaching Staff of the Year – Division I

Boston College

Named ACC Coach of the Year for the third time (2018, 2023, 2024), Acacia Walker-Weinstein and her staff (Jennifer Kent, Sam Apuzzo, Callahan Kent and Emily McDermott) guided Boston College to its second straight ACC Championship and a second NCAA Championship. The Eagles fought back from a 6-0 first-quarter deficit and finished with a thrilling 14-13 win against the Northwestern Wildcats in the title game. The Eagles ended the season with 20-3 record and ranked No. 1 in the final IL Women/IWLCA poll. Defender Sydney Scales was named the IWLCA Defensive Player of the Year and seven Eagles earned All-American honors.

IWLCA National Coaching Staff of the Year – Division II

University of Tampa

Gallagher and her staff guided the Spartans to their first national championship in 2024 after winning the SSC tournament crown and landing eight players on the All-SSC teams. Tampa avenged regular season losses to Florida Southern and Adelphi during their NCAA run, cruising to a 13-8 victory over Adelphi in the title game. Seven Spartans earned IWLCA All-Region accolades and four were named All-Americans and Tampa finished the season at the top of the final ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll. Her staff consisted of Caili Guilday, Sam Scarpello, Elizabeth Gainer, Danielle Waters and Ally Blood.

IWLCA National Coaching Staff of the Year – Division III

Middlebury College

Led by head coach Kate Livesay and assistants Amy Patton and Olivia Seymour, the Panthers posted an unbeaten NESCAC season (10-0) for the third straight season and won their 12th NESCAC Championship. The Panthers (23-0) took home their third-straight NCAA Championship, defeating Salisbury in the final. The group coached four players who were recognized as IWLCA All-Americans and eight who were lauded as IWLCA All-Pilgrim Region selections. Hope Shue was tabbed as both the IWLCA National Player and Attacker of the Year. This coaching staff was also recognized the 2024 NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year.

IWLCA National Coaching Staff of the Year – NAIA

Reinhardt University

Head Coach Roy Reynolds of Reinhardt (Ga.) was named the 2024 NAIA Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year in his eighth season as head coach of the Eagles. Accompanied by Assistant Coach Brian Landers, Reynolds led his team to the championship game for the first time since women’s lacrosse became a championship and ended the season with a 17-1 record. RU's only loss of the year came from NCAA opponent, Kennesaw State University. The Eagles then went on an impressive 17-game win streak before claiming the NAIA Championship and picked up the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Champion title along the way.

Mid-Atlantic Region
Stony Brook University

Led by Head Coach Joe Spallina, Greg Miceli and Sydney Pirreca guided the Seawolves to an 18-3 overall record, which included a perfect 8-0 in CAA play. Stony Brook earned the No. 1 overall seed in the CAA Tournament and the Regular Season Championship after it defeated Long Island rival Hofstra, 18-5, on April 21. The coaching staff mentored four IWLCA Mid-Atlantic Region selections, including Ellie Masera, who was also a Tewaaraton Award finalist. The Seawolves season ended with a loss to eventual NCAA semifinalist Syracuse University in the second round of the tournament and finished ranked No. 13 in the final ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll.

Northeast Region
Boston College
(See above.)

South Region
University of Florida

Led by Amanda O'Leary, Regy Thorpe, Nicole Levy and Christina Esposito were named the American Athletic Conference’s top staff for the third time in the last four seasons. The Gators finished the season with a 20-3 overall record and 6-0 record in the AAC. They earned their 12th regular season conference championship, and their 11th conference tournament championship (10th consecutive). UF ranked first nationally in scoring offense (17.61 goals/game), points per game (26.48), scoring margin (+9.09), shot percentage (.550), and clearing percentage (.959), along with ranking second in free position percentage (.639), third in assists per game (8.87), sixth in draw controls per game (17.70) and seventh in scoring defense (8.52 goals allowed/game). After falling in the NCAA semifinals, Florida finished the season ranked No. 4 in the final ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll.

West/Midwest Region
Northwestern University

Alongside Scott Hiller, Alexis Venechanos, Charlie Leonard Hiller, Kelly Amonte Hiller earned her fourth Big Ten Coach of the Year honor in the last five years and her second back-to-back. The Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the IL Women/IWLCA poll for 11 weeks this season, which ended with a one-goal loss to Boston College in the NCAA championship game. The Wildcats coaching staff mentored four IWLCA All-Americans and two Tewaaraton Award finalists, including Izzy Scane, the two-time Tewaaraton winner and two-time IWLCA Player of the Year.

Atlantic Region
Slippery Rock University

Taryn Burkholder was selected as the Western Division Coach of the Year after an impressive improvement – from 10-7 (6-6 PSAC) in 2023 to 15-3 overall (10-2 PSAC) this spring. The Rock’s 280 goals and 149 goals against were second-best in the entire PSAC behind West Chester’s 284 and 140, respectively. Slippery Rock finished the season with a 15-4 record and a conference semi-final appearance. She was accompanied by Assistant Coach Jordan Anderson.

East Region
Adelphi University

Pat McCabe, Frankie Caridi, and Alexandra Beebe took the Panthers to the NCAA Championship, falling to the University of Tampa in their eleventh title game appearance. Along the way, Adelphi posted a 19-4 record, and ended the season ranked No.2 in the final ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll. Five Panthers garnered IWLCA All-Region honors and four took home All-American accolades.

Midwest Region
Regis University

Head coach Sarah Kellner was named RMAC Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Rangers to a perfect 10-0 mark in conference play and a 16-1 record during the regular season. Assisted by Alexis Petrarca and Kyleigh Peoples, Regis finished the year 20-2 after falling to eventual NCAA Champion University of Tampa in the NCAA Semifinals and a final ranking at No. 4 in the ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll.

South Region
University of Tampa
(See above.)

Berkshire Region
Babson College

Babson, led by the NEWMAC Co-Coaching Staff of the Year, went undefeated in league play with a 10-0 record, and finishing 17-3 overall. The Beavers closed out the season with a No. 13 ranking in the final ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll. Babson won the NEWMAC Championship for the second-straight year, earning AQ into the NCAA Tournament, where they picked up a second-round victory. A program record seven players received IWLCA All-Region recognition this year. The Beavers are led by Michelle Smith (HC), Annika Streeter and Allie Collins.

Boardwalk Region
Stevens Institute of Technology

Karen (Shaddock) Basciano was named Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Coach of the Year this season, while 13 players took home conference postseason accolades, with four of them collecting major awards. Stevens won the MAC Freedom title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, finishing the season with a 17-4 record and a final ranking of 17 in the ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll. Basciano was accompanied by Maddie Buechli and Kathleen Jaeger.

Chesapeake Region
Salisbury University

Under the direction of Jim Nestor, Salisbury was the 2024 NCAA Tournament runner-up and the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference champions. Natalie Held was named the IWLCA Division III Defender of the Year and the Gulls placed eight players on the IWLCA All-Region teams. Additionally, the squad featured the C2C Defensive Player of the Year and nine All-C2C First Team selections. Nestor’s staff featured Liz Marr, Katelin Talbert, Emma Skoglund, Allie Hynson, and Kellan McAleer.

Empire Region
Ithaca College

Ithaca College head coach Karrie Moore and her assistant coach Madison Mulligan were named the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year. They directed the Bombers to a 18-2 overall record and an unblemished 10-0 mark in conference play through the regular season and Liberty League tournament. Ithaca won the program’s first Liberty League title since joining the conference in 2016-17 and the Bombers paced the conference in goals per game (18.10), assists per game (7.40), points per game (25.50), and shots per game (37.30). With the Liberty League title, Ithaca earned its 15th all-time appearance to the NCAA Tournament this year and fourth trip since 2019.

Great Lakes Region
Denison University

Head Coach Amanda Daniels, Tori Vernau, and Kat Schneeberger earned NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2024 as the Big Red collected their league-leading 23rd NCAC championship and 17th NCAC tournament title. Denison finished with a 15-5 record after falling to Tufts in the third round of the NCAA tournament. Five players garnered All-Great Lakes Region honors and two were named IWLCA All-Americans.

Metro Region
Franklin & Marshall College

Led by Mike Faith, F&M won the Centennial Conference Championship en route to a 19-4 record and a semifinal appearance in the NCAA Championship. Six players collected All-Centennial Conference accolades, with five going on to earn IWLCA All-Region recognition, and four earning AllAmerican status. The Diplomats ended the season ranked third in the final ILWomen/IWLCA Division III Poll. Assisting Faith this season was Corryne Sulpizio and Chris Tongel.

Pilgrim Region
Middlebury College
(See above.)

West Region
Centre College

Monica Scott Brumbelow was voted the SAA Coach of the Year for the second time in her career, having also won the award in 2018. She, along with Assistant Coach Nicole Ellin, led the Colonels to a second-place finish in the conference, going 4- 1 in the league and 11-3 overall. Brumbelow guided Centre to a league best 17.9 goals per game and coached six 2024 All-SAA honorees, including a trio of first teamers.