Women's Lacrosse | 7/15/2026 5:15:00 PM

ERIE, Pa. – Gannon University Director of Athletics Meghan Morphy has announced the hiring of Kiana Francis as the ninth head coach in the history of the Golden Knight women's lacrosse program. Francis takes over as the program prepares for its 32nd season of competition.

Francis arrives at Gannon after serving as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at NCAA Division I Longwood University, where she helped guide the Lancers to a Big South Conference Tournament appearance during the 2026 season. She led a defensive unit that ranked among the top 10 in NCAA Division I in caused turnovers while coaching five All-Big South selections, three Big South Freshman of the Week honorees and multiple Big South Academic Team members.

"Throughout the search process, Kiana demonstrated a deep commitment to the student-athlete experience, a strong understanding of the PSAC and Division II landscape, and a clear vision for our women's lacrosse program," Morphy said. Combined with her experience as a Division I assistant coach, she emerged as the clear choice to lead our student-athletes moving forward. We are thrilled to welcome Kiana to our team and excited for the future of our program under her leadership."

In addition to coordinating Longwood's defense, Francis played an integral role in the program's recruiting efforts, scouting, practice planning, team travel, film breakdown, individual player development and day-to-day operations. Francis returns to Erie after spending three seasons as a standout student-athlete at nearby Mercyhurst before beginning her collegiate coaching career at Longwood.

"I'm incredibly excited to join the Golden Knight family and return to Erie," Francis said. "This area has always meant a lot to me after spending three years at Mercyhurst, and I'm grateful to the Gannon hiring committee and Director of Athletics Meghan Morphy for believing in me. As I step into my first head coaching role, I'm looking forward to building strong relationships with our student-athletes, expanding our recruiting footprint and helping this program compete for PSAC Tournament berths while reaching new heights."

A familiar face in the Erie lacrosse community, Francis began her collegiate playing career as a defender at nearby Mercyhurst University, where she competed from 2020-23. She served as team captain during her senior season and earned First-Team All-PSAC West honors in 2023 after recording career highs with 41 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers. Francis helped the Lakers qualify for the NCAA Division II Championship in 2022 and make three consecutive PSAC Tournament appearances while also earning PSAC Scholar-Athlete recognition twice.

Francis concluded her collegiate career as a defender at Dominican University of California during the 2024 season, where she served as team captain and earned IWLCA Scholar-Athlete honors. She appeared in four games before being sidelined by injury but remained an important leader as the Penguins completed their transition to NCAA Division II and continued establishing themselves as a competitive program. The experience further fueled her passion for coaching and helped launch the next chapter of her career.

Francis joined the coaching ranks in 2024, accepting an assistant coach and defensive coordinator position at NCAA Division I Longwood University. Along with overseeing one of the nation's top defensive units, she gained extensive experience in recruiting, scouting, game preparation, travel coordination and student-athlete development.

Francis returns to Erie with strong family ties to the region. Her father, Glenn, is the head men's soccer coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College and was a standout soccer player at Mercyhurst from 1994-97, helping lead the Lakers to their first NCAA Division II Final Four appearance in 1995. A three-time all-conference selection, Glenn was a two-time GLIAC Player of the Year, earned First-Team All-America honors in 1996 and was inducted into the Mercyhurst Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

Her mother, Kim, was a member of the Gannon women's swimming team from 1994-96, while her younger brother, Jeremiah, will continue the family's connection to Erie this fall as a member of the Mercyhurst track and field program.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Mercyhurst University in 2023 before completing her Master of Business Administration from Dominican University of California in 2024.