SPARKS, Md. — Jenny Levy, the head coach for the U.S. women’s national team, has announced her coaching staff for the program.
Amy Altig, Alex Frank and Joe Spallina will serve as assistant coaches and Colleen Shearer will serve as the team’s assistant general manager. Altig will work the goaltenders and serve as the team’s defensive coordinator. Frank with the defense and draw specialists while Spallina will serve as the offensive coordinator. Shearer will work with Lance Basler, the operations manager for all of the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams.
“I am extremely excited to work with this talented group of coaches who are highly competitive, innovative, strategic, and a passionate group with a wide range of experience in the game,” Levy said. “Joe Spallina, Amy Altig, Alex Frank and Colleen Shearer represent multiple conferences and lacrosse communities across the country. They will work with me to build an exciting and successful team and develop a sustainable U.S. Women’s National Team program.”
Altig is in her eighth season on the staff at Penn State and was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2017 season. She has helped Penn State to consecutive NCAA semifinal berths and six straight NCAA tournament appearances. Prior to arriving at Penn State, she served as an assistant coach at Princeton and Richmond. Altig is a 2005 graduate of James Madison where she earned All-CAA recognition two times as a goaltender. She played multiple years in the U.S. national team program, and represented the U.S. on the Prague Cup touring team in 2008.
Frank is in her third year on the coaching staff at Colorado and was promoted to associate head coach following the 2017 season, which saw Colorado win a school record 16 games and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. Frank previously spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Boston College, helping the Eagles to three straight NCAA tournament berths. Frank is a 2012 graduate of Northwestern where she earned All-America honors three times, was a two-year captain and helped the Wildcats win NCAA titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Spallina is entering his seventh season as the head coach at Stony Brook and has transformed the program into one of the nation’s best. The Seawolves have reached the NCAA tournament five straight years, and last season won a school record 20 games while pushing eventual national champion Maryland to the brink in a 13-12 loss in the NCAA quarterfinals. Spallina is 101-20 as head coach at Stony Brook, and prior to that went 73-2 in four years at Adelphi, winning three NCAA Division II titles. A 1996 graduate of Adelphi, Spalling was a four-year starting midfielder and helped the Panthers win two NCAA Division II championships. He also serves as the head coach of the New York Lizards in Major League Lacrosse, and led the squad to the 2015 MLL championship.
Shearer, entering her first year as a volunteer assistant coach at James Madison, has two decades of collegiate coaching experience. She was on the staff at Virginia for 19 seasons, helping the Cavaliers to the NCAA tournament each season, including six national title game appearances. Virginia won the 2004 national championship. Prior to Virginia, she was the first head coach in Wagner’s history, and she spent the 2017 season as the head coach at Bridgewater College, leading the Eagles to a 10-7 record. A three-time All-American at Rowan University, Shearer led the nation in NCAA Division III in 1994 and 1995 and went on the play for the U.S. Developmental Team.
The U.S. is coming off a summer in which it won the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Cup in Guildford, England and the International World Games championship Wroclaw, Poland. Levy was named as the new national team head coach in November and is beginning the building process for the next FIL World Cup in 2021.
“Our staff looks forward to working with the incredibly talented players and help them further develop their individual and collective talents,” Levy said. “Pursuing a fourth consecutive world championship in 2021 will be a great challenge as the other international teams continue to build and improve. Finally, we want to help US Lacrosse move the game of lacrosse closer to the Olympic dream and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.”
The eight-time world champion U.S. women’s national team trains and plays using best-in-class products provided by Nike (apparel and footwear), Brine (equipment), STX (equipment), Under Armour (equipment), SISU Guard (mouthguards) and The Pearl by Guardian (balls). In addition to these partners, Greenfields, Nationwide, Sports Force Parks, Sweat X, Bank of America and MedStar Sports Medicine are official sponsors of Team USA. Team training is also aided by products from DJO Global, Motive Pure, NormaTec Recovery and Athletic Republic.
Follow the team on social media @USLacrosse and #USAWLAX.