EASTON, Pa. - Kristen Nicholson, who molded Kutztown University into a contender on the national stage, has been named head coach of Lafayette's women's lacrosse program.
Nicholson leaves Kutztown as the women's lacrosse all-time coaching wins leader (57). In five seasons, her squads earned three NCAA Tournament berths and featured 23 all-conference, 18 all-region and 10 All-America selections.
"Kristen has established herself as one of the most successful and respected women's lacrosse coaches in the region through a career defined by program building, competitive excellence, student-athlete development, and a relentless commitment to success," said Lafayette Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman. "Her track record demonstrates an ability to elevate programs beyond historical expectations while maintaining a strong focus on culture, academics and the overall student-athlete experience. We are so excited to welcome her to College Hill and to see what she brings to the future of Lafayette Lacrosse."
In her final season at Kutztown, Nicholson guided the program to the NCAA Elite 8 while the team amassed a school-record 16 wins and finished 11th in the final Top-25 poll. Kutztown played games against 12 nationally-ranked opponents, with the final wins over those ranked foes coming against the last two unbeaten teams in the country.
When Nicholson took over at Kutztown, she inherited a one-win program. Two seasons later, she directed a nine-win improvement that included 13 wins and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and national ranking. In 2024, Kutztown won a then school-record 15 games and finished as the PSAC runner-up while also qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
"I would like to thank Sherryta Freeman and the entire search committee for the opportunity to lead the Lafayette women's lacrosse program. Throughout the process, it was clear how deeply invested everyone is in the success of Lafayette Lacrosse and providing the student-athletes with an exceptional experience," Nicholson said. "I'm honored to join the Lafayette Family and excited to build on the program's foundation together. I can't wait to get to work and am excited for the future of Lafayette women's lacrosse."
Prior to arriving at Kutztown, Nicholson spent six seasons (2016-21) as the head coach at Moravian University, finishing with a 46-37 record that included three-straight conference tournament semifinal appearances. The Centereach, N.Y. native took over a program that had been on a hiatus for five seasons, building the roster, team culture and competitive identity from the ground up. Nicholson coached 16 all-conference selections and two all-region honorees.
Her first coaching foray came at her alma mater FDU-Florham, first as an assistant coach for two seasons and then as the interim head coach during the 2013 campaign when the 13-8 squad captured a conference title.
Nicholson graduated with a degree in fine arts in 2010 from FDU-Florham where she later earned her master's degree in sport management. During her playing career, she tallied 179 career points (131 goals, 48 assists) while adding 77 ground balls and 60 draw controls. As a senior, Nicholson served as a team captain and earned all-conference honors while leading the squad to an ECAC Mid-Atlantic championship.
Lafayette Senior Associate Director of Athletics Mike Chamberlain headed the search committee which also included Heather Hartner (Senior Director, Talent Management and Human Resources Operations), Pat Myers (Men's Lacrosse Coach) and Marty Sullivan (Director of Academic Resource Hub).