Search

University of Delaware

University of Delaware Athletics
631 S College Avenue Newark, DE 19716
Division 1 Delaware Northeast
Public Large National competitor

Coaches

Email coach

Kelly Lawrence

The University of Delaware has named Kelly Lawrence as the new women’s soccer head coach, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Community and Campus Recreation, Chrissi Rawak announced on November 14.


“I am incredibly excited to welcome Kelly and her fiance Allison to the Blue Hen family,'' said Rawak. “Kelly has everything we were looking for, outstanding playing and coaching experience, a terrific recruiter and a student of the game. Most importantly her commitment and approach to developing people on and off the field aligned with who we are at Delaware and the experiences we strive for each and every day. Lawrence arrives in Newark after spending the 2022 season at Penn State. She helped guide the Nittany Lions to the BIG Ten Tournament Championship and made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.


"I am grateful for the belief and confidence Director of Athletics, Community and Campus Recreation, Chrissi Rawak, and Associate AD, Brendan Fuller, have shown in selecting me for this tremendous opportunity,” said Lawrence. “The values and vision of the University of Delaware and the Delaware athletic department were a perfect match. Delaware has everything it takes to compete for championships, an exceptional academic reputation, a stunning campus, first-class facilities, and incredible intentional support from our athletic administration.


Prior to Penn State, Lawrence served as the Associate Head Coach at Boston University from 2019-22. While at Boston U, she helped coach the team to the 2021 Patriot League Spring North Division Champions and the 2021 Patriot League Regular Season Champions.


“I am excited to welcome Kelly to the Blue Hen family,” said Fuller. “Kelly’s enthusiasm, knowledge of the game, and commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes both on and off the field make her the perfect fit for our program. This is an exciting time for Delaware Women’s Soccer.”


Previous stops for Lawrence include serving as the Interim Head Coach/Assistant Coach at Syracuse University from 2015-19. As an assistant coach at Monmouth from 2013-14, she helped the team win the 2013 MAAC Tournament Championship and earn back-to-back MAAC Regular Season Championships in 2013 and 2014.


“I want to take a moment to thank, all the student-athletes that I have had the privilege to coach, Krissy Turner, for taking a chance on me early in my career, Nancy Feldman who has been a great mentor for me, and Erica Dambach, Ann Cook, Tim Wassell, and Kara Cook for providing me the opportunity to work with and for the best in the country,” Lawrence expressed.


“My fiancé, Allison, and I are thrilled to join the Delaware family and looking forward to building relationships with our student-athletes to help them excel in the classroom, on the field, and in life,” said Lawrence.


Lawrence competed for Indiana University from 2006-10. While in college she was named to the Mac Hermann Watch List (2008), NCAA Sweet Sixteen Finalist (2007), First Team All- B1G TEN (2007), B1G Ten All-Freshman Team (2006), All B1G Ten Freshmen Team, and Three-time NSCAA All-Region. She was the only player in Indiana History to win All-B1G Ten honors in all four years.


She played competitively for the Boston Breakers Reserves (2010) and the Orange County Waves Professional (2011) of the WPSL. Lawrence also played on the England National Team (U15-U23) and Team Great Britain (7 yrs).

show more

Email coach

Maddy Evans

Evans joins the Blue Hens after a highly successful stint at West Chester University. Evans helped the Golden Rams to a record of 79-19-12 over five seasons, which included an NCAA Tournament Championship Game appearance in 2022 where West Chester won the PSAC regular season and conference tournament championships. Evans and West Chester coaching staff members were also named Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year. While under Evans, West Chester made the NCAA Tournament in all five seasons with her on the sidelines, won the Atlantic Region of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, and were Atlantic Region finalists in 2019.


"We are very excited to add someone of Maddy's caliber and championship DNA to our coaching staff," Lawrence said. "Her experiences at the highest level of college soccer as a coach and as a player are invaluable. Maddy is someone who embraces building relationships, servant leadership, and has a thirst for knowledge. I am personally excited to learn from Maddy as we look to build a championship environment here at UD. We welcome Maddy and her husband Brian to Newark!"


As a coach, Evans has provided skill instruction to student-athletes, facilitated team bonding, goal setting, and leadership development trainings, provided feedback in player meetings and film breakdown, prepared comprehensive scouting reports on opponents, utilized Hudl to breakdown film of program and opponent games, and partnered with the strength and conditioning staff to create off-season workout packets and coordinate in-season training planning. Evans has also coordinated accommodation, travel, and equipment needs before competitions, and communicated with sports medicine professionals to monitor player readiness and wellness. She was also a member of West Chester's President's Commission on the Status of Women, the sole athletics department representative, and a member of the advocacy sub-committee. Evans also was part of the Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Trans Athlete Policy Development sub-committee.


Prior to coaching at West Chester, Evans served as an assistant coach at MIT in 2014 and as a graduate assistant for Concordia University Chicago in 2015 and 2016, a coach for Penn Fusion Soccer Academy and Director of Penn Fusion's Girls Elite Player Program, a Skills Development Professional Coach, and Soccer Without Borders Granada Nicaragua Volunteer Coach.


During her playing days, Evans competed in the National Women's Soccer League as a midfielder from 2013-2017, first with the Boston Breakers from 2013-2015 before playing for the Orlando Pride in 2016 and 2017. She was the ninth overall selection in the NWSL Expansion Draft. Evans also played in the Australian W-League for the Brisbane Roar. As a collegiate athlete, Evans competed at Penn State, where she won four Big Ten Championships, was the team captain for the 2012 squad that finished as runner-ups in the NCAA Tournament, and was selected to the NSCAA Academic Award Team as a Division I Scholar-Athlete. She also competed for W-League Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues and participated in U.S. Soccer Youth National Team camps. She was a National Champion for FC Bucks US Youth Soccer.


Evans has also served as an adjunct professor at West Chester, teaching Leadership and Life Skills for Student Athletes, and was Leadership Development Coordinator for Student-Athlete Success. She also had coaching stints at Penn Fusion Soccer Academy, Beaver Country Day School, and Newton (Mass.) Girls' Soccer. At Penn State, she was president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and a member of the Athletic Directors' Leadership Institute. She has also received Adidas Breaking Barriers, Gender Equity and Inclusion in Organizations certification, was a Leadership Awards Nominee at West Chester, Brisbane Roar FC W League Player's Player, Penn State Student-Athlete Above and Beyond Award winner, Academic All-Big Ten Honoree, Pennsylvania State University Dean's List member, and Union League of Philadelphia Good Citizenship Award winner.


She graduated from Penn State with a degree in English in 2013, from Concordia University Chicago with an MA in Leadership Studies in 2016, and from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in 2021 with an MS in Sport Science.

show more

Email coach

Shannon Coley

Coley arrives to Newark after a stint at University of Rhode Island, where she spent one season with the Rams. Coley was previously on the Western Michigan staff for two seasons before as an assistant coach. In her first season with the Broncos, she helped the team to a record of 6-2-2. In the following season, Coley helped the squad to another six-win season.


Prior to her time at Western Michigan, she spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons as an assistant coach at Lawrence Tech. She helped the Blue Devils to seven wins in both campaigns, which included a home record of 6-3-1 in Coley's final season.


Her time at Lawrence Tech was highlighted by two Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference All-Newcomer Team selections and four NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades during the 2018 season. In 2017, Tia Lamie and Alayne Nyboer earned second team all-conference recognition, while two other players were named to the all-newcomer squad.


Coley was a standout goalkeeper for Oakland University during her collegiate playing days. She was a four-year letter winner from 2008-12, and finished with 55 career games played, starting 48 in goal and finished fourth in program history with 25 wins and third with 15 shutouts. Her 4,578 minutes played in goal is second all-time in program history, and she also still holds the Oakland single-game saves record with 17, done on Oct. 9, 2009 against San Diego State University.


In one of Coley's most memorable performances with Oakland, she was in net and saved three penalty kicks in a shootout win over fourth-seeded Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2012, helping the Golden Grizzlies advance to the second round.


She left Oakland with the single-season record for shutouts with eight in 2012 and was a Summit League All-Tournament Team selection in 2012. She became the first player in league history to record back-to-back shutouts in the Summit League Championship and became the first Oakland goalkeeper to record a shutout against Michigan State during the 2012 season.

show more
This site helped me establish communications with several colleges. The ability to contact colleges that interested me and research information about them was very helpful.
- Dylan MorenoWhat are others saying?