Mindy McCord named women’s lacrosse head coach
With the women’s lacrosse program preparing to begin in 2023, USF Athletics named Mindy McCord as the program’s first head coach on Tuesday.
McCord coached at Jacksonville University for 13 years. She not only led the program, but made it into what it currently is, with a 170-62 record and helping the team reach its eighth NCAA tournament appearance. She also contributed to 10 conference championships and 11 regular-season titles.
She was also was responsible for the creation of the Virginia Tech program. She took the Hokies’ club lacrosse team and helped it reach Division I status in the ACC.
As a women’s lacrosse college coach, she has a 240-118 record in 21 seasons and is one of the top 20 coaches in the nation. When it comes to coaching at all levels, McCord has accumulated 326 wins.
Her program in Jacksonville was named the most academically successful for two consecutive years with an average 3.76 and 3.7 GPA in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The program also boasts the third-highest GPA in NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse.
Before McCord was ever a coach, she was a starter on the Lynchburg College’s lacrosse team. She was a team captain, rookie of the year, all-conference, regional All-American and North/ South Senior All-Star Game honors while in college.
She was later inducted into the Lynchburg College Hall of Fame in 2015.
“For 20 years, I have been coaching and helping grow the sport of lacrosse in the state of Florida. It’s been a fun, faith-filled, family journey that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” McCord said in a Tuesday press release.
“Now, with the positive culture infused by [Vice President of Athletics Michael] Kelly and his staff at USF, we get to go all out and reach for the highest of heights with Tampa’s first D1 lacrosse team … I am incredibly humbled to take the reins at USF.”
More Stories
Column: USF men’s basketball, thanks for the fun season
This is a personal column about assistant sports editor Noah Vinsky’s first-hand experience covering men’s basketball. Sports have always run in my blood. Growing up, ESPN was nearly on a constant loop on my living room television. I came to USF knowing I wanted to be a writer. The Oracle seemed like a great place […]
USF’s Mindy McCord builds culture of “family and love” into lacrosse
At 23 years old, a career in coaching was not what Mindy McCord had envisioned. After a stint playing for one of the top field hockey teams in Australia following a successful college playing career, she returned to America. McCord was on track to earn a master’s degree in counseling at Virginia Tech while coaching […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
Here’s why these USF softball players chose their jersey numbers
For athletes, the number they wear is more than the added fabric on the back of their jersey. It often tells a deeper story about the players — who they are and where they come from. Here’s why these three USF softball players chose their respective jersey numbers. Related: USF softball is gaining momentum during […]
USF football head coach Alex Golesh: The man behind the process
Football coach Alex Golesh said USF has been on his mind since his own days as a college student when the program was top five in the country. “I distinctly remember sitting there watching it and thinking ‘What is S Florida and what are they doing in the top five in the country?’” Golesh said. […]
USF baseball matches last season’s wins at midseason
USF baseball has reached its midseason, powering through a turnaround year. Despite losing to Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday 7-5, It has already won 21 games, matching the same total from last season with a road victory against Tulane on Sunday. The Bulls (21-16, 7-5 AAC) stand third out of 10 teams in the conference. […]