Last year was the inaugural season for men’s lacrosse program at the University of Tampa.
Now the women’s lacrosse team is making a buzz around campus with the hire of Kelly Gallagher as the first coach in the program’s history.
Her first task: recruit a team that will be ready to take on the NCAA Division II by the spring of 2014.
At her first coaching stop, which was at Division I Detroit- Mercy, she recruited nationwide in order to help build that program from scratch, in addition to scouting UDM’s opponents, training their goalkeepers and scheduling their practices and games as the team’s top assistant coach.
“After a national search, Kelly emerged as the person best suited to lead our program,” said athletic director Larry Marfise. “She has an exceptional lacrosse background along with the energy and positive attitude that is needed to lead us to success.
She is also a high character person who will serve as a role model and mentor to our student athletes.”
Gallagher grew up in a family oriented around lacrosse. Her father was a coach, and she played all throughout her childhood through college, where she starred at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland from 2003-2006.
She then began her coaching career at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, where she coached for two seasons before moving onto UDM for the next four seasons. She spent last season at Limestone College in South Carolina, where she helped the lacrosse program to a 17-2 record en route to the NCAA Tournament.
Now she begins the newest chapter of her coaching career at UT, in her first head coaching gig.
“There is just a great tradition of excellence here at UT, both on the athletic side and on the academic side,” says Gallagher. “First and foremost, I want well rounded student athletes, so I have to sell the education first, and I don’t think you can get a better education than you can right here.” Assistant Athletic Director Gil Swalls led the search committee that picked Gallagher to be the first coach of women’s lacrosse, and he can see a bright future for the program that starts play in about a year and a half under Gallagher, who already has a lot of coaching experience.
“For her age, she had a wealth of experience,” states Swalls. “Out of everyone that had applied, she had, by far, done the most with her years.”
Gallagher looks forward to recruiting a team that fits her style of play.
“I’m a big believer in work ethic,” says Gallagher. “I want the kid that works hard and that never stops moving.”
Women’s lacrosse will begin competing in division II in the spring of 2014.
Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan.llanes@spartans.ut.edu.