Xavier University Athletics
Women's Lacrosse Welcomes Kirkland Lewis As Associate Head Coach
07.02.24 | Women's Lacrosse
Lewis has extensive experience, including as a Division I head coach.
CINCINNATI ---- Xavier University Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Meg Decker announced the hiring of Kirkland Lewis as Associate Head Coach. Lewis, who has head coaching experience at the Division I and Division III level, most recently spent two seasons as the head coach at Furman.
"Kirkland is a gold mine hire in the lacrosse world," said Decker. "She has extensive college coaching experience across multiple divisions and has been a head coach in two divisions. Her ability to command a room, a field, and a team with authority and empathy is exactly the type of coach we were looking for. She is a true student of the game and a fierce competitor. I believe she can be the lynchpin in developing this program from its foundational years into its championship years. I am excited to build around her as we carve out our legacy in the BIG EAST Conference."Â
Lewis guided Furman to a 10-8 overall record in the 2023 season, while posting a second straight 7-2 record against Big South opponents. The Paladins made their second consecutive appearance in the Big South Women's Lacrosse Championship semifinals. Furman set a new program record with 269 draws, surpassing the old mark of 257 in 2017. Four Paladins earned postseason honors from the Big South, including three on the First Team.Â
In her first season at Furman in 2022, Lewis led the Paladins to an 8-8 overall record and a tie for third place in the league standings with a 7-2 mark in Furman's first season as a Big South member. Lewis led Furman to a semifinal appearance in the Big South Women's Lacrosse Championship. She coached two first team All-Big South performers and two second team selections.
Furman also excelled in the classroom under Lewis' leadership, earning back-to-back IWLCA Academic Honor Squad citations in 2022 and 2023. The Paladins have also had 10 selections to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. Three student-athletes made the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
Lewis came to Greenville after serving as an assistant coach at Bucknell during the 2021 season, where she was the Bison's defensive and recruiting coordinator. Prior to joining Bucknell, Lewis was the head coach at Division III Whitman College for three seasons. Only the second head coach in program history, she coached two IWLCA All-Region selections and her players earned 11 All-Northwest Conference recognitions.
Prior to being named head coach at Whitman, Lewis was an assistant coach for three seasons at Division II University of District of Columbia where she served as the defensive and recruiting coordinator. Lewis began her collegiate coaching career in 2014 as an assistant coach at Division III Randolph-Macon College. Lewis served as the program's defensive coordinator and goalkeeper coach.
Lewis played collegiately at Old Dominion. Following her graduation in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, she obtained her master's degree in sports administration from Delaware State. In 2013, she captained the inaugural varsity lacrosse team at Delaware State.
The Lansdale, Pa., native also has experience coaching at the club level. Over the course of her career, she has worked for Ultimate Lacrosse Club (2008-12, 2015), Storm Lacrosse Club (2013-14), Elevate Lacrosse Club (2016-17), and the Tenacity Project (2019).
She is heavily involved in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), having served as an Outreach Committee Chair, a Northwest Conference Representative, and an All-Region Committee member. In addition, she previously served on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee and as a US Lacrosse Diversity and Inclusion Clinician.
