NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Salisbury University women's lacrosse assistant coach
Allie Ryan '18, M '22 was one of 26 assistant coaches across all three divisions and NAIA schools selected on Friday for the
Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Aspire Assistant Coaches Program. Ryan will be a part of the "Confidence Connection" Cohort along with 12 assistant coaches.
"I'm thrilled for the opportunity to be part of the Aspire Program and to learn alongside coaches with different experiences and perspectives," Ryan said. "I'm looking forward to continuing to grow in my leadership and coaching, while bringing new ideas and tools back to our program and student-athletes at SU."
Ryan will be a member of the third class of assistant coaches that will go through the Aspire Development Program that launched in 2024. The program was designed to align with the IWLCA's vision to offer an intensive, high-quality continuing education opportunity for current assistant coaches.
"We received valuable feedback from last year's participants and have used it to tweak some elements of the program to ensure it is continually evolving to meet the needs of our membership," said IWLCA Director of Internal Operations and Programming, Danie Caro. "The coaches that have already completed the program cited increases in confidence, positive personal growth, and new peer connections as some of the top benefits of their experience and that's exactly what we hoped for when we launched this programming. I am very excited to see this year's class of participants take this self-improvement journey and apply what they've learned in their own programs."
The program wraps up in January 2027, allowing the coaches to focus on their team and put their coursework to use during their competitive season.
Ryan has been on
Jim Nestor's staff since 2020, when she joined as a graduate assistant after putting together a stellar four-year career as a midfielder from 2015 to 2018, earning IWLCA All-American honors in 2017 and 2018. On the sidelines, Ryan has helped coach the Sea Gulls to 109 victories, including the program's fourth national title in 2021 and three final four appearances in 2021, '23 and '26, while being recognized as a part of the IWLCA Chesapeake Region Coaching Staff of the Year on five occasions.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
