USA Lacrosse today announced the high school girls’ coaches from each geographic area selected as winners of the 2025 Coach of the Year Awards. The award honors a girls’ lacrosse head coach in each area who exemplifies the ideals of the game of lacrosse.
The award is intended to recognize the individual’s overall coaching performance and contribution, not just coaching wins - although they may be considered. Nominees must demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship on and off the field, and also demonstrate excellent rapport with their players, officials, and other coaches.
USA Lacrosse oversees the selection of the high school awards, which are administered locally by area chairs. Selections are based on voting by coaches within each geographical area.
The Coach-of-the-Year Award is one of four awards that comprise the USA Lacrosse high school girls’ recognition program, along with All-American, All-Academic, and the Jackie Pitts Award.
Note: Some local areas have not yet reported their selections and are not included in the listings below. Entries will be added as the selections are received.
Updates/corrections can be sent to gamesadministration@usalacrosse.com.
2025 USA Lacrosse
High School Girls' Coaches of the Year
| Area | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
Alabama | Tom Lewis | Mountain Brook |
Arizona | Torrey Graves | Desert Vista |
California - Central Coast | Celeste Perales | Gilroy |
California - Greater Los Angeles | Maddy Morrisey | Mira Costa |
California - Orange County | Megan Armes | St. Margaret's Episcopal |
California - San Diego | Mackenzie Newton | La Jolla |
Colorado | Rachel Sanford | Evergreen |
Connecticut | Meg Cersosimo | Conard |
Delaware | Taylor Gibbs | Sussex Academy |
District of Columbia | Claire Berg | Potomac School |
Florida - North | Ken McIlhenry | Gulf Breeze |
Georgia | Travis Church | Lambert |
Idaho | Dominic Gonzales | Idaho Falls |
Iowa/Nebraska | Adam Dugan | Lincoln Liberty |
Maryland - Chesapeake | Katy Kelley | Broadneck |
Maryland - Howard County | Amanda Brady | Marriotts Ridge |
Maryland - Western | Brigid Scanlon | South Carroll |
Massachusetts - Western | Ashley Ziemba | Chicopee |
Michigan | Deanna Radcliffe | South Lyon United |
Missouri - Heartland | Kimberly Appuzo | Blue Valley |
Missouri- Saint Louis | Carrie Lampe | Ladue Horton Watkins |
Montana | Liz Phillips | Missoula |
New Hampshire | Jordan Kerrigan | Portsmouth |
New Jersey - Shore | Lori Johnson | Southern Regional |
New Jersey - South | Jessica Blake | Haddonfield Memorial |
New York - Section 2 (Adirondack) | Joe Pollicino | Shaker |
New York - Section 5 (Rochester) | Dave York | Penfield |
Ohio - Central | Tim Bosco | Olentangy Liberty |
Pennsylvania - Central | Cheyenne Benson | Elizabethtown Area |
Pennsylvania - Eastern | Josie Tomaino | Episcopal Academy |
Pennsylvania - Western | Mackenzie Bell | Moon Area |
South Carolina | Brent Hilpert | Porter-Gaud |
Tennessee | Corey Donohoe | Ensworth |
Texas - North | Rainey Hodgson | Southlake |
Texas - South | Beth Lester | Kinkaid School |
Utah | Michelle Buechner | Skyridge |
Virginia - Richmond | Christina D'Angelo | Douglas S. Freeman |
Virginia - Southwest | Erin Petersen | Blacksburg |
Virginia - Tidewater | Doug Rice | Tabb |
West Virginia | Hailey Mostacciuoto | University High |
Wisconsin | Brandon Peterson | Edgewood-Madison |