Caitlin Sweeney ’18 Named as Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach
Sweeney's undergraduate student-athlete bio
Sweeney's Lincoln Memorial coaching bio
RINDGE, N.H. (May 27, 2020) – Franklin Pierce University Director of Athletics Rachel Burleson has announced Caitlin Sweeney ’18 has been named as the eighth head coach of the University’s women’s lacrosse program. A former All-America selection during her undergraduate career with the Ravens, Sweeney returns to the crimson and grey to make her head coaching debut.
“It’s an honor to be able to come back to my alma mater and contribute to the program I have so much passion for, and I thank Rachel for giving me the opportunity to lead our team into the future,” said Sweeney. “It feels right knowing I’ll be back in Rindge. I feel the Franklin Pierce community is truly one of a kind, so I’m very excited to get to campus and start working with the team.”
Though it will be her first opportunity as a head coach, Sweeney brings Division II coaching experience with her to the post, as she spent the previous two years as an assistant coach with Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. Working with a team which only debuted in 2015, she helped lead the Railsplitters to a program-record 12 wins in 2019, as the squad went 12-6 to post the first above-.500 finish in program annals. The 2019 team also returned to the postseason for the second straight season and picked up its first ever South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Tournament victory by defeating Coker in the quarterfinals. The Railsplitters were picked to finish in the top half of the SAC again in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic halted play throughout the country.
“As a former student-athlete at FPU, and having competed in the Northeast-10, I feel I have a good handle on what to expect and how to tackle it all,” added Sweeney, with regard to the task ahead. “We play in the nation’s premier conference for Division II lacrosse, and I look forward to both the challenges and rewards of competing at such a high level.”
During her time in the Volunteer State, Sweeney had the opportunity to contribute to all aspects of the Lincoln Memorial program under head coach Caitlyn Corace, who is herself an alum of nearby Keene State. Sweeney’s primary responsibility was the team’s defense, and during Lincoln Memorial’s record-setting 2019 season, she led a defensive corps which finished second in the SAC in goals-against average and produced an All-SAC First Team defender in then-junior Zoe Zervos.
“I am excited to welcome Caitlin back to Rindge and give her the keys to our women’s lacrosse program,” said Burleson. “She brings with her such a passion for the University community and the program, and she comes back to us with an inherent understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish as an athletic department. Her enthusiasm will certainly rub off on her student-athletes and she is well-suited to guide our young women to success both on and off the field.”
Sweeney is one of the more-decorated athletes in the history of the program she is returning to helm. As a junior in 2017, she finished eighth in the nation in goals per game (3.75) on the way to an All-America Third Team selection and an All-North Region Second Team nod from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Association (IWLCA), as well as All-NE10 Second Team plaudits. In her senior season, she was an All-North Region Third Team selection and earned All-NE10 Third Team accolades after finishing 15th in the country in goals per game (4.00). She was also an NE10 All-Rookie Team selection as a freshman in 2015.
Sweeney finished her career second in program history in points (254), goals (194) and assists (60). In both goals and points, she trailed only Lauren Stille ’11, who was a 2017 inductee into the Franklin Pierce Athletics Hall of Fame. Sweeney’s 82 points (60-22-82) in her senior season of 2018 was the second-most points in a single season in program annals, behind only Stille’s 2008 campaign (73-14-87). In her junior season of 2017, Sweeney helped the Ravens return to the NE10 Championship for the first time in eight years.
Off the field while at Franklin Pierce, Sweeney was a two-year member of the Athletic Communication office’s student staff. She also spent time interning with the Department of Athletics’ compliance office and recreation division.
“It is always a privilege to be able to welcome an alum back to Rindge as a member of the coaching staff,” added Matthew Janik, Assistant AD/Communication. “Having had the chance to work with her as an undergrad, I know she brings with her a dedication and eagerness to succeed which will serve her well in this next chapter of her career. Her personality shines at every opportunity and I can’t wait to watch her continued growth as a head coach.”
Originally from Shirley, N.Y., Sweeney is a 2018 graduate of Franklin Pierce with a degree in sports and recreation management. She earned her master’s degree in business administration and marketing from Lincoln Memorial this spring. Sweeney will officially take the reins of the program on Aug. 1, and will make her head coaching debut with the Ravens in spring of 2021.
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics’ official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce lacrosse apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics’ online store (http://www.shopfpuravens.com).