USF women’s lacrosse attacker Alison Harbaugh didn’t have a regular childhood.

Harbaugh’s last name is something of sports royalty. Championships run in her blood. 

Her father – John – is one of the longest tenured head coaches in the NFL. He’s been the coach of the Baltimore Ravens since 2008, winning a Super Bowl in 2012. 

Her uncle Jim had success coaching in college and the NFL – making a Super Bowl appearance with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 and winning a National Championship with Michigan in 2023. He’s now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. 

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Alison’s grandfather Jack has over two decades of coaching experience at Western Michigan and Western Kentucky, also serving as assistant head coach with his son at Michigan in 2023. 

Alison said the values of working hard were a crucial part of her childhood. 

“My dad, my uncle and my grandfather are the hardest working people I know,” Alison said. “It’s really hard to get to that level as a coach.”

Alison, 22, moved to lacrosse-haven Maryland when she was six when her father was hired by the Ravens. The Harbaughs — being from Ohio – never even heard of the sport.  

When she was eight, one of her soccer coaches told her she should try lacrosse. 

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“I kind of tried it, and my parents would use their baseball net and would just throw with me in the yard, and I just loved it,” she said. 

She said John is the “biggest lacrosse fan ever.” As an only child, Alison called her parents her best friends.

“He just always knows the right thing to say at the right time,” she said. “He is just so full of wisdom and advice and especially being a coach, he knows the dynamic of how coaches think… I can’t emphasize enough how they’re my biggest fans and always in my corner.” 

Alison earned All-Conference honors while playing lacrosse at Baltimore’s Bryn Mawr School before committing to play at Notre Dame. 

She spent three seasons in South Bend – appearing in 16 games for the Fighting Irish –  before transferring to USF as a graduate student.

“I kind of wanted to see what was out there, get an opportunity on the field and make an impact on and off the field,” she said.

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Alison said she already knew USF head coach Mindy McCord and her husband Paul McCord,  who is the Bulls’ assistant coach. 

Paul’s a former Baltimore Raven himself — having been on the special teams staff from 1999 to 2001. Alison said that connection resulted in an “opportunity she couldn’t turn down.” 

Mindy said that Alison’s family background in coaching plays translates over to the lacrosse field. 

“I think the biggest thing I see that translates over is the values she was raised with,” Mindy said. 

Mindy calls Alison a “quiet leader” but says she is still fiercely competitive. 

“She’s seen how [John] leads his players,” Mindy said. “She’s seen some of the best players and their leadership or poor leadership, so I think she’s grown up seeing a lot.” 

Alison – and the rest of the USF women’s lacrosse team – will make their program debut next Friday against Kennesaw State.

“I think everybody’s so ready,” Alison said. “It’s gonna be one of those moments where you kind of just remember forever.” 

USF women’s lacrosse will make its regular season debut next at 7:30 p.m. next Friday against Kennesaw State at Corbett Stadium.