Xavier Announces Brittney Morris as New Head Women's Lacrosse Coach

After spending four seasons at St. Mary's (Md.) and leading the team to NCAA Division III tournament appearances each year, Brittney Morris has been named the second head coach in the history of Xavier women's lacrosse.

Xavier announced the hire Tuesday morning.

The Seahawks were 47-29 overall and 19-0 in the United East Conference during her tenure. Xavier has struggled since joining the NCAA ranks, going 10-34 since its debut in 2023 under the direction of Meg Decker.

Continue below to read the full press release from Xavier.

PRESS RELEASE

CINCINNATI — Xavier Athletics announced Brittney Morris as the second coach of the women's lacrosse program on Tuesday morning. Morris comes to Xavier after four seasons at the helm of St. Mary's College in St. Mary's City, Maryland.

"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead Xavier women's lacrosse and want to thank Greg Christopher, Leslie Fields and the entire search committee for their trust and support," said Morris. "From the beginning, I felt aligned with Xavier's mission and the shared commitment to building a competitive, values-driven program. It's an exciting time for women's lacrosse at Xavier, and I'm honored to shape its future. I look forward to getting to work with these incredible student-athletes and creating something truly special on the field, in the classroom and in the community."

Morris took over the St. Mary's College program in December 2021 and went on to lead the Seahawks to a 47-29 overall record and a perfect 19-0 mark in United East Conference games during her tenure. SMCM made an NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in all four seasons under Morris and advanced to the second round twice. 

"We are excited to announce Brittney as our new women's lacrosse head coach," said Greg Christopher, Xavier University Vice President for Institutional Strategy and Director of Athletics. "Brittney's enthusiasm and proven success led us to believe she is the right fit for our women's lacrosse program. We are confident in Brittney's ability to establish a positive culture and move the program forward."

In the 2025 season, the Seahawks went 10-8 and won their fourth consecutive United East regular season and tournament title to advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Morris mentored both the United East Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in her final season with St. Mary's while seven Seahawks earned a spot on the 2025 All-United East Team.

In 2024, the Seahawks finished with a 12-7 record including a win over No. 25 Messiah and a first round win in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Morris coached the United East Rookie of the Year and landed seven players on the All-United East teams to lead the Seahawks to their third straight United East title.

SMCM went 11-8 in 2023 and 5-0 in the United East to win their second straight title under Morris. The Seahawks swept the 2023 United East major awards highlighted by Morris earning Coach of the Year honors as she mentored the Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year while nine total Seahawks were named to the All-United East teams.

In her first year at the helm of St. Mary's College, Morris led the Seahawks to a 13-6 record and a United East Conference title in their first season in the league. She continued to excel in her inaugural season, leading the team to the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2008 with a victory over Framingham State in the first round. Morris mentored both the United East Offensive and Defensive Player of the year in 2022 with seven total Seahawks earning a spot on the All-United East teams.

Prior to her time in St. Mary's City, Morris led the women's lacrosse program at Division III Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. During her four-year tenure with the Petrels, Morris mentored 10 All-Southern Athletic Association (SAA) selections, including two First Team selections, and led the team to a pair of SAA playoff appearances. She fostered a strong academic environment as well with four players named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor Roll, 51 named to the SAA Academic Honor Roll, and one to the SAA Sigma Alpha Alpha List.

The Woodstock, Ga., native has been involved with all aspects of the game, including playing, coaching, and officiating. Morris coached high school club lacrosse in the Atlanta area for several years, working with Hotlanta Lacrosse (2011-17), Gwinnett Rush Lacrosse (2019-21) and Southern Maryland Jets (2022-present).

Morris has served as the Region VI Chair on the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Committe since February 2024 where she participates in the planning, administration and evaluation of NCAA Championship events. She has also been the IWLCA Membership Committe Chair since June 2023 and a member of the IWLCA All-Metro Region Committee since March 2025.

She served as the league president for the Southeastern Women's Lacrosse League from 2015-21, an organization of 17 collegiate club teams of the Women's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (WCLA). Prior to becoming the SWLL president, Morris was its vice president for three years. She is also a member of the WCLA Board and served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair.

Morris holds a bachelor's degree in public relations with a minor in coaching from Kennesaw State University (2016) and a master's degree in sports management from Wingate University (2021). Morris served as team president and player-coach of the Owls' women's club lacrosse team from 2011 through 2016.