ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University Director of Athletics Dr. John Planek announced on Thursday (Dec. 2) that Molly Byrne has been hired as the new head coach of the women's lacrosse program at Lewis.
"Molly's combination of playing at the Division II level and coaching locally will serve her well as our program continues to move forward," Dr. Planek said.
"I want to thank Dr. John Planek for the opportunity to join the athletic department as the Women's Lacrosse Head Coach," Byrne said. "I am really excited to becoming part of the Lewis community. Joining a program with such great support and hard working student athletes provides me confidence as we transition into the spring season. I look forward to getting to work."
Byrne has spent the past 12 years as the assistant director and head coach of the Northside Youth Lacrosse program where she has coached youth girl's lacrosse from ages six through high school aged players at all skills levels to develop and understand the fundamentals of lacrosse. She was responsible for preparing practice plans and fitness routines for weekly practices.
Byrne played high school lacrosse at Regina Dominican for four years from 2008-12 earning four varsity letters and was ranked among the top five players in the state of Illinois in goals scored and ground balls in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. She also played travel club lacrosse for Wild Cat Elite and Lakeshore Lacrosse.
As a senior she tallied 57 goals while scooping up 65 ground balls which was fourth most in the state. She was a three-time GCAC First Team honoree and was named the team's MVP as a senior.
Byrne played collegiately at Regis University in Denver, Colo., and was a member of the team that went 10-5 and finished 8-2 in the Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. She appeared in four games that season scoring a pair of goals while scooping up two ground balls and causing three turnovers.
After graduating from Regis, Byrne coached at Illinois Tech as an assistant for one season designing plans in advance to effectively prepare student-athletes for success on the field. She incorporated fitness, nutrition and weight training plans and also helped create practice and game plans. Byrne also assisted in recruiting at IIT traveling to tournaments across the country and consistently communicated with high school girl lacrosse players and their coaches and their parents.
Byrne has a bachelor's degree in sociology from Regis.
She comes from a lacrosse family as her mother is a prominent lacrosse coach in the Chicagoland area and her sister played lacrosse at Butler University.
