Kerry O'Donnell begins her third season at Gannon in 2018. Gannon Director of Athletics Lisa Goddard McGuirk named O'Donnell the sixth head coach in the program's 22-year history on June 26, 2015.
In two seasons with O’Donnell at the helm, Gannon student-athletes received nine player of the week honors from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). In addition to being named to the PSAC and ECAC first teams, Leilani King earned Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) all-region honors last year.
The program has flourished academically under O’Donnell. Gannon has been named an IWLCA Academic Squad during both years. Individually, Lady Knights have been named IWLCA Scholar-Athletes six times. Gannon women’s lacrosse student-athletes have earned PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors 28 times during those two years and received the Division II Athletics Directors Association (ADA) Academic Achievement Award 11 times. The Gannon women’s lacrosse program produced a 3.47 team grade point average during the fall of 2017.
"I am honored and grateful to have been selected as the next women's lacrosse head coach for Gannon University," said O'Donnell upon her hiring. "I would like to thank Lisa Goddard McGuirk and the search committee for their faith in me and my vision. Rich in excellence both academically and athletically, Gannon presents a great opportunity. I look forward to joining Gannon's winning tradition and helping its women's lacrosse program compete at a championship level."
O'Donnell came to Gannon after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division II Georgian Court of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). She led the Lions to a 32-18-1 overall record and 23-7 conference mark during her tenure. The three-year period included three CACC Final Four appearances and a pair of CACC North Division regular-season championships. O'Donnell was named CACC Coach of the Year after her first season in 2013.
Georgian Court featured 14 all-conference selections and two CACC Players of the Year under O'Donnell in Corinne Coyle (2013) and Melissa Williams (2015). The Lions never had a Player of the Year in program history prior to those two honorees. Academically, Georgian Court consistently maintained a 3.0 team grade point average during O'Donnell's tenure.
"We are delighted to announce Kerry as our next women's lacrosse head coach," said Goddard McGuirk upon O'Donnell's hiring. "In addition to her knowledge and experience, she has had success coaching at the NCAA Division II level. Combined with an approach that is very student-athlete oriented, she is a great choice to lead this program. Kerry will be a great addition to our department as she exhibits the attributes we value and strive for; excellence and a positive student-athlete experience."
O'Donnell led the Lions to an 8-8-1 record, a first-place finish in the CACC North Division and an appearance in the conference semifinals during her first season as the head coach at Georgian Court in 2013. As a result, she was named CACC Coach of the Year. The postseason awards included four all-conference honorees, two CACC All-Tournament Team selections and the CACC Player of the Year.
In 2014, the Lions finished 13-4 during the regular season while winning the CACC North Division title for the second consecutive year. Georgian Court made another appearance in the conference semifinal round. The Lions also earned the program's first-ever Top XIV Award, which recognizes the student-athlete competing in the championship tournament with the highest grade point average. More postseason accolades followed with six student-athletes earning all-conference honors, four securing all-conference academic honors and two being named to the CACC All-Tournament Team.
O'Donnell led Georgian Court to double-digit victories again in 2015, producing an 11-6 overall record. The Lions knocked off Philadelphia in double overtime during the CACC semifinals, before dropping a tight championship match to top-seeded Holy Family. Four Georgian Court student-athletes earned all-conference honors, including the CACC Player of the Year. Academically, three Lions were named to the 2015 CACC Spring All-Academic Team.
A two-sport student-athlete at Rowan (N.J.) University from 2004-08, O'Donnell was a member of the lacrosse and cross country programs. She was a four-year starter for the Rowan lacrosse team and served as a team captain during her final season. O'Donnell was part of two winning seasons, the program's first and only conference championship title and back-to-back NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Individually, she was named an All-American as a senior.
O'Donnell graduated from Rowan in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in health and exercise science. She completed her collegiate career as a four-time National Academic Squad selection and four-time Rowan Student-Athlete Award recipient, graduating with a 3.46 cumulative grade point average.
