Women’s Lacrosse: Lindsey Munday Named First Coach at USC

LOS ANGELES–Lindsey Munday, an All-World member of the U.S. Lacrosse women’s national team who helped lead Northwestern to 5 NCAA championships as a player and assistant coach, has been named the head coach of the new USC women’s lacrosse team as of today (Jan. 3), Trojan athletic director Pat Haden said.

Last month, USC announced that women’s lacrosse will be added to the athletic program beginning in the 2012-13 season, becoming the 21st NCAA sport–and 12th women’s sport–sponsored by the university.

“It was imperative that we hire a coach with the energy, experience and plan to build a premier women’s lacrosse program,” said Haden. “Lindsey Munday embodies all that we are looking for as we take on this exciting endeavor. Her background both as an elite player and an elite coach who has been part of five national championships is a perfect match for a program that we hope will soon play at a championship level. From President Max Nikias and throughout the entire university, we will support Lindsey and her program with all of the resources and support necessary to compete at the highest level. We welcome Lindsey to the Trojan Family with open arms.”

Added USC senior associate athletic director Mark Jackson, the department’s administrator who oversees the sport: “It was obvious after a national search with many qualified candidates that Lindsey was the clear choice to build and lead our women’s lacrosse program to prominence. Her national championship experience at Northwestern both as a player and as a coach and her current status as a player on the United States national team has provided her with a wealth of experience that she is now ready to bring to USC. Her confidence and energy were apparent and she is no doubt ready to aggressively recruit from coast to coast and develop premier student-athletes that will perform well on the field and in the classroom. Her vision to build an all-encompassing program will fit in well with our many other championship-caliber programs.”

Munday, 26, comes to USC after serving as the head coach at Mount St. Mary’s University, an NCAA Division I program in Maryland, since Aug. 30, 2010.

Before that, she was the top assistant at her alma mater, Northwestern, for 4 years (2007-10). She served as the recruiting coordinator and offensive coach, and helped with scouting opponents. Northwestern was 85-4 during her tenure, including 23-0 in 2009, and the Wildcats won the NCAA title in 2007, 2008 and 2009 while advancing to the NCAA championship game in 2010. She helped coach a number of All-Americans, including Tewaaraton Trophy winners Kristen Kjellman and Hannah Nielsen and Tewaaraton finalist Katrina Dowd.

Munday is regarded as one of the greatest players in Northwestern history. A Tewaaraton Trophy semifinalist in 2005 and 2006, she finished her 4-year (2003-06) career as the program’s all-time leader in assists (128), as well as third in points (268) and fifth in goals (140). She also set single season records for points (107) and assists (54) in 2005. The Wildcats were 64-12 during her career, including winning NCAA crowns in 2005 and 2006 (the first school outside the Eastern time zone to do so) to become the first Northwestern program to win consecutive NCAA championships. She was a 2-time (2005-06) first team All-American, All-Region and All-American Lacrosse Conference selection as a midfielder after earning All-Region second team laurels in 2004 and All-Conference second team notice in 2003 and 2004. She made the NCAA All-Tournament team in 2005. She co-captained the Wildcats in 2006. She won the 2006 Big Ten Medal of Honor, given annually to a graduating male and female from each conference school of outstanding academic and athletic talent.

She received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Northwestern in 2006.

Munday recently was named to the 2010-11 U.S. women’s national team. She was on the U.S. team that won the 2009 FIL World Cup, where she earned All-World recognition as an attacker after leading her team with 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points in 7 games.

“I am honored and humbled to be named the first head women’s lacrosse coach at USC,” said Munday. “Thank you to USC president Max Nikias, athletic director Pat Haden and senior associate athletic director Mark Jackson for providing me with this tremendous opportunity. I also want to thank Mount St. Mary’s president Dr. Thomas Powell and athletic director Lynne Robinson for the opportunity to lead the Mount women’s lacrosse program.

“USC is a truly unique university with premier academics and championship athletics. The University’s storied history, coupled with the support from its administration top to bottom, will provide the USC women’s lacrosse program with the resources to be nationally competitive. It is an incredibly special opportunity to begin a new program and I cannot wait to recruit student-athletes who are passionate about lacrosse and about joining this amazing time in USC women’s lacrosse history.

“Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and her husband, Scott Hiller, have been instrumental in my journey, first as coaches and now as mentors. I aim to similarly mentor my student-athletes during our time together and provide my continual support afterwards. These student-athletes will create the foundation of USC women’s lacrosse. We will begin our journey together and immediately dedicate ourselves to building success. This is the beginning of a very special addition to the Trojan Family and I am honored to lead the way.”

Munday was a 3-sport star at Mountain Lakes (N.J.) High. She earned prep All-American first team honors in lacrosse in 2002, she was an All-State second teamer in basketball and she was a 3-time All-Conference first team pick in soccer.

She was born on May 28, 1984. Her sister, Jen, played lacrosse and basketball at College of New Jersey, while her brother, Paul, played lacrosse at Muhlenberg College.

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