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For Michelle Tumolo and Devon Wills, the success of any team is rooted in its chemistry.

Playing together under then-head coach Ricky Fried for the 2017 U.S. gold medalists, they became accustomed to a systematic approach that focused on the team, rather than the individual. Former college stars, like Tumolo, who was once a standout attacker at Syracuse, learned to adjust their roles to fit the unit’s needs. The relationships they formed mattered most – between teammates and from player to coach – and both Tumolo and Wills plan to employ that same philosophy as first-time Division I head coaches at Wagner and Harvard, respectively.

“Every team I’ve ever played on, chemistry has always been the X-factor,” said Wills, a 2006 Dartmouth graduate. “When a team has ownership over what they’re doing, they take a lot more pride in the day-to-day grind. That all comes back to chemistry. That’s the foundation of everything you’re doing.”

Tumolo and Wills are the latest Team USA players from World Cup rosters to earn head coaching positions, joining fellow Americans Sarah Albrecht (New Hampshire), Kelly Amonte Hiller (Northwestern), Karen Borbee (Swarthmore), Erica LaGrow (Yale), Lindsey Munday (USC), Amanda O’Leary (Florida), Gina Oliver (Cincinnati), Bonnie Rosen (Temple), Katie Rowan (Albany) and Acacia Walker (Boston College). Even more U.S. World Cup players have become Division I assistants.

“That just speaks to the type of team that we’ve had, where it’s not just you’re extremely skilled – that definitely helps – but it’s also you understand the game and you’re a good leader,” said Wills, a 2017 U.S. co-captain alongside Sarah Bullard.

“To go learn from [Wills] and Sarah Bullard as the two captains, just the passion they give is what I want to give to my girls,” Tumolo added. “If you give them passion and a reason to love this sport and have a great time, they’re going to play their hearts out and they’ll want to do things for you as their coach and their teammates. I want to give them the courage to go out there and do their best. That’s what the leaders of the U.S. team and my teammates have given me as a player and now I transition as a head coach.”

Former or Current Team USA World Cup Players as College Coaches

Sarah Albrecht, New Hampshire head coach
Kelly Amonte Hiller, Northwestern head coach
Becca Block, Oregon assistant
Karen Borbee, Swarthmore head coach
Kristen Carr, Stanford assistant
Katrina Dowd, North Carolina associate head coach
Michi Ellers, Bryn Mawr College assistant
Danielle Etrasco, Georgetown assistant
Brooke Griffin, Duke assistant
Erica LaGrow, Yale head coach
Alice Mercer, Niagara assistant
Lindsey Munday, USC head coach
Amanda O’Leary, Florida head coach
Gina Oliver, Cincinnati head coach
Caitlyn Phipps, Maryland assistant
Bonnie Rosen, Temple head coach
Katie Rowan, Albany head coach
Katie Schwarzmann-Haus, Penn State volunteer assistant
Kayla Treanor, Boston College assistant
Michelle Tumolo, Wagner head coach
Acacia Walker, Boston College head coach
Devon Wills, Harvard head coach

Tumolo came to Wagner after being an assistant to head coach Katrina Dowd at Oregon for two seasons, following stints at Syracuse and Florida under Gary Gait and O’Leary, also as an assistant.

She follows in the footsteps of Rowan – the former Seahawks coach and fellow former Orange attacker who took over at Albany on June 21 – and now heads the program her younger sister, Kimmy, was a part of from 2013-2016. Wagner won the Northeast Conference championship in 2016 and 2018, earning its first-ever NCAA tournament win against Mercer in May.

“I feel like this is where my heart belongs and the level I want to be at as a first head coach,” Tumolo said. “There’s so much potential there. I think Katie Rowan has done an amazing job the past three years and I have big shoes to fill. …. We’ve been a part of teams where you’re like sisters and you’re family. You’d do anything for your family and that’s how I’m going to coach because that’s so important to have that bond. If you have that bond on and off the field, then it’s going to create a winning culture.”

Wills, the former USC associate head coach, aims to do the same at Harvard, which has won one NCAA championship in 1990 when Carole Kleinfelder led the program. Collectively, Ivy League women’s lacrosse teams have hoisted the national championship trophy four times, with Princeton earning the other three in 1994, 2002 and 2003 under current head coach Chris Sailer.

The Crimson are coming off a 6-9 season and finished at the bottom of the conference standings, but Wills is confident the program has the potential to become a powerhouse in the Ivy League.

“Yale men’s lacrosse, [the 2017 NCAA champion], proves the point that the Ivies can’t be counted out just because they’re limited by their hours,” said Wills, who was also an assistant at Denver and Dartmouth. “It’s a sport that the Ivies really excel in and compete at that national level and in the national spotlight. … I realize it’s a ton of work that has to happen and I think the girls know that too, but I think if you start small and get better every day, then it will take care of itself.”

With her Ivy League background, earning All-American honors in goal for the Big Green, Wills felt specifically drawn to Harvard. It was one of her “dream school[s] to work at,” she said.  

“Having been in the Ivy League as a player, I always respected the athletes at Harvard,” Wills said. “The balance the Ivy League provides the student-athletes is always appealing to me. I didn’t realize how valuable that was until I graduated many years later. That’s why I was eager to get back to the Ivy League.”

Tumolo and Wills now start their head coaching careers eyeing excellence – and perhaps encouraging their players to try out for Team USA.

“You coach the way you played,” Tumolo said. “Who would think a Wagner girl would try out? But I want, one day, that they can get that call. The sky’s the limit.”

Harvard and Wagner are two programs to name a new head coach this offseason. Here's a glimpse at the rest of the Division I women’s coaching carousel. This list will be updated as news arises.

Katrina Dowd
Oregon (Head Coach) to North Carolina (Associate Head Coach)

After two years at the helm of the Oregon women’s lacrosse program, Katrina Dowd stepped down July 13 to pursue other opportunities and was then named the associate head coach at North Carolina three weeks later.

“It wasn’t really in the plans,” Dowd said. “Sometimes life goes unplanned. … I’m excited about the opportunity and I really appreciate [head coach] Jenny [Levy] for always thinking outside the box and always wanting the best for her players and her program."

Dowd returns to Chapel Hill after spending four seasons with the Tar Heel program from 2013-16, helping lead it to NCAA titles in 2013 and 2016.

"The opportunity to bring a coach of her caliber back into our lacrosse program was unexpected but welcomed,” Levy said in a press release. “There is no denying the great success we shared when we worked together.”

Chelsea Gamble
Stanford (Assistant) to Oregon (Head Coach)

With Dowd’s departure, Chelsea Gamble stepped in to lead the Oregon women’s lacrosse program August 1. Gamble comes to Eugene, Ore., after four seasons at Stanford as its offensive coordinator. She helped lead the Cardinal to the inaugural Pac-12 title in 2018.

“She has been a huge part of Stanford's success over the last four years,” Oregon athletic director Rob Millens said in a press release. “She is committed to providing the best possible student-athlete experience and is more than ready to take this next step in her coaching career."

“Growing the game of lacrosse, especially on the West Coast, is something I am extremely passionate about,” Gamble added. “There is no better conference to compete in and grow this amazing game than the Pac-12."

Beth Hewitt
Promoted from Associate Head Coach to Head Coach at Vanderbilt

After Cathy Swezey’s contract was not renewed as head coach, Beth Hewitt was named Vanderbilt’s head coach August 7 after spending the past four seasons with the Commodores as an assistant and associate head coach.

"Following a nationwide search for our next head lacrosse coach, Beth Hewitt’s name, experience and resume stood taller than a group of truly outstanding candidates," said Vanderbilt athletic director David Williams. "Beth is a winner."

Lauren Morton
Duke (Associate Head Coach) to Boston University (Head Coach)

On June 19, former Duke associate head coach Lauren Morton replaced Liz Robertshaw as Boston University’s fifth head coach.

She returned to the Terrier program after being an assistant for it from 2010-12 and is the first alum to serve in the role. Morton was a 2008 IWLCA All-American midfielder at Boston University and helped it earn four straight American East tournament titles.

“Words can’t describe what it means to be back to a place that I love, that I understand, and that I want to represent,” Morton said.

Katie Rowan
Wagner (Head Coach) to Albany (Head Coach)

Katie Rowan, a native of Delmar, N.Y., was named Albany’s head coach on June 21 after leading Wagner to two Northeast Conference titles in her three years as its head coach. She was previously an assistant at Albany from 2011-2012.

“From her outstanding playing career as well as her extensive coaching experience, Katie is a proven winner with a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of student-athletes,” Albany athletic director Mark Benson said. “She is the right fit to take our program to the next level of excellence and to develop our student-athletes into Great Leaders, Great Champions and Great Danes.”