WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.- Monmouth University has hired Denise Wescott as head women's lacrosse coach, Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Marilyn McNeil announced on Thursday.
"We are excited to have someone of Denise's experience join our coaching ranks," said McNeil. "I believe her wealth of Division I and international coaching experience will propel our already successful women's lacrosse program to new heights. "
Wescott brings more than 25 years of coaching experience to West Long Branch, most recently spending the past four years as the head coach at Mount St. Mary's.
"I'm excited to be at Monmouth," said Wescott. "The quality of all the athletic programs at MU are impeccable, it is great to be part of a group that is supported so well. The lacrosse team has always been successful. They have a great history and hopefully we can bring the NEC Championship back here."
While in Emmitsburg, Wescott guided the Mountaineers to a 22-10 conference record and four straight Northeast Conference Tournament berths. She was named NEC Coach of the Year in 2007 after leading The Mount to a 10-8 overall mark, including an unbeaten 8-0 conference record.
In addition to team success, a number of individual players flourished under Wescott at Mount St. Mary's. The former Maryland Terrapin coached the 2007 and 2009 NEC Defensive Players of the Year, nine All-NEC first-team selections and nine All-NEC second-team selections. Wescott's players also earned national recognition, with three players being invited to play in the annual Division I North/South Game and one All-Mid-Atlantic Region second-team award winner.
In the summer of 2006 Wescott was the recipient of the Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement and before that was inducted into the New Jersey Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame (2005). Coach Wescott has also served on the NCAA Div. I Lacrosse Committee, the NCAA Div. I Regional Committee, and positions on the IWLCA and IFWLA Executive committees. Wescott has also served as a US selector and Asst. Coach for the US Squad. She currently is serving a term on the Board of Governors' for US Lacrosse.
Wescott served as the Delaware women's lacrosse coach from 1993-2004. During her 11-year tenure, she guided the Blue Hens to 104-86 mark and won the America East title in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Delaware advanced to the NCAA Division I NCAA Tournament first round in 2000, earning an at-large bid after finishing second in the conference. Wescott was named America East Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1997. She also served as the assistant field hockey coach for four seasons and taught physical education major's classes and skill's classes.
From 1994-2005 along with her duties with the Blue Hens, Wescott coached the German National Team. She helped the German squad compete in eight European Cups and two World Cups in 2001 & 2005. The 2001 World Cup in England was the first international championship the German squad competed in coming in last and by the 2005 World Cup in Annapolis, MD won 3 games. She has worked lacrosse camps and clinics all through the United States in N.Y., Md., Del., N.J., Va., Ari., Wash., Texas and all through the World in Germany, England, Canada, Japan, Wales, Australia and New Zealand.
Prior to her time in Newark, Del., Wescott was the head women's lacrosse coach at Rutgers University from 1991-93 and served as the field hockey and women's lacrosse coach at Drew University for the 1989-1990 seasons. She also was an assistant field hockey and women's lacrosse coach for two years at Penn State and four years at the University of Maryland. Wescott began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State.
Wescott was a four-year starting goalkeeper and captain at the University of Maryland in Field Hockey and Lacrosse. In her four years in the crease, the Terrapins went 50-11-1 and advanced to the AIAW tournament three times, including falling to Penn State 9-3 in the first national collegiate championship game in 1978, and losing to them again 3 -1 in 1980. She ranks fourth on the program's all-time saves list with 519 stops and boasted a 6.99 goals-against average in her career. She was named to the USWLA All-Star team and USWLA Final Four All-Tournament team in 1980.
Wescott, the fourth coach in program history, takes over for Kelly Van Zile, who resigned in August to raise her newborn daughter.
"Kelly (Van Zile) did a lot of great things while she was coaching here that we are going to try to build on," said Wescott. "Ashley and Sarah (assistant coaches Ashley Waldman and Sarah Masterson) have done a great job this summer recruiting for us and I am excited to be able to work with them also."
Monmouth returns 20 players, including nine starters, from last year's team which made its 11th straight NEC Tournament appearance.
"I think the first thing I was impressed with was the team's maturity level, coming in and introducing themselves before we ever stepped on the field together," said Wescott of the current Hawks. "They [the team] have stayed in shape and worked hard this summer, this kind of work ethic will help us transition quickly. One thing I know from coaching against them in the past is that there is a lot of talent here and they never gave up. They keep fighting in a game, no matter the score, and hate to lose these are great attributes for a team to have."
