FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2016
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Merrimack Director of Athletics Jeremy Gibson announced the hiring of Julie Duffy as the new head coach of the women's lacrosse team, the seventh in the history of the program.
"We are very excited to welcome Julie to Merrimack College and to our women's lacrosse program," Gibson stated. "She has demonstrated the ability to develop and lead a program that will succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community. I know those values will serve her extremely well as she makes her transition to North Andover."
"I am very excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead the Merrimack College's women's lacrosse program," Duffy stated. "I would like to thank President [Christopher E.] Hopey and Director of Athletics Jeremy Gibson for giving me this amazing opportunity. I would also like to thank Brandi Laurita and the University of Findlay for their support and belief in me over the last five years.
"The College's mission and drive to be successful in all aspects of athletics, as well its ability to attract and develop outstanding student-athletes, gives me great hope and excitement for the future of the women's lacrosse program," said Duffy. "I'm looking forward to calling North Andover home."
Responsible for guiding the Findlay's women's lacrosse program from the ground up, Duffy arrives in North Andover after spending five seasons with the Oilers. She saw her teams improve their win total each season and guided Findlay to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association (GLIAC) Tournament Final this past spring as part of a school-record 12-win campaign.
Overall, Duffy compiled 34 wins over the last four years with Findlay, leading the team to postseason conference tournament berths in all four years of varsity competition. Duffy also helped get the squad off the ground and running by coaching the Oilers while they competed at the club level for the program's initial year of existence in 2011-12 before becoming full Division II members.
Individually, Duffy helped a number of her student-athletes earn individual accolades, including a two-time Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Association (IWLCA) All-American and All-Region selection, as well as a three-time GLIAC Midlfielder of the Year and a GLIAC Attacker of the Year.
Before this year's 12-win campaign – which also marked the school's first-ever winning season – Duffy led the Oilers to back-to-back eight-win seasons in 2014 and 2015. In the team's first year of competition in 2013, the Oilers won an impressive six games and went an even 4-4 in the highly competitive GLIAC, qualifying the league's postseason tournament and ending the year with a perfect record at home.
Outside of her responsibilities as the Oilers head coach, the Westhampton, Massachusetts, native serves as the NCAA Division II representative on the IWLCA board of directors and is a member of the IWLCA All-American Committee.
Prior to her tenure at Findlay, Duffy served as the head women's lacrosse coach at Division III Ohio Wesleyan University from 2008-11, compiling a 21-25 record. She also currently serves as the head coach of the Midwestern Force Lacrosse Club, a position she has held since 2008.
She began her collegiate coaching career at Ithaca College, serving as a graduate assistant on the women's lacrosse staff after a successful playing career at Hartwick College.
Duffy graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science from Hartwick in 2007. She then completed her master's degree in exercise and sports science, with a concentration in sport psychology, at Ithaca during the summer of 2008.
Information for this release provided by the Merrimack athletics communications staff
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
