Lauren Thomas, a veteran North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) coach, was announced as Allegheny College's head field hockey coach on Friday, June 2, 2023.
Thomas, who boasts nearly a decade of experience as a Division III coach, spent eight seasons as both an assistant and head coach in the NCAC. She joins the Blue and Gold following her most recent stop as the head field hockey coach at Elmira College of the Empire 8 Conference during the fall of 2022.
A 2014 graduate of Elmira, Thomas served as the head coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, during a four-year span from 2018-22. She mentored four All-Region honorees, 11 All-NCAC selections, and 32 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Academic Squad recipients while guiding the Tigers to 24 wins in three seasons. While navigating the program through the hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, DePauw earned NFHCA National Academic Team awards in each of her four seasons. In 2019, the Tigers went 10-9 with a 5-3 NCAC record and qualified for the NCAC semifinals.
In addition to her four years as the bench boss at DePauw, Thomas spent one season as an assistant with the Tigers in the fall of 2014 and three seasons as an assistant coach at fellow NCAC institution, Ohio Wesleyan University, from 2015-17. In her first stint at DePauw, the Tigers reached as high as No. 5 in the national rankings.
At her alma mater, Thomas, a former goalkeeper during her playing days, helped Elmira goalie MeganRae Burke post career-best save totals and rank fourth in Division III in saves per game in 2022. Five Soaring Eagles collected NFHCA National Academic Squad accolades, and one was named an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction.
A four-year starting goalie at Elmira, Thomas was a two-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection. She ranks among the all-time leaders in program history in numerous categories, including second with more than 3,500 career minutes and 652 saves. She also served as president of EC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and attended the NCAA Leadership Forum as a student-athlete representative in 2013.
Thomas graduated from Elmira with a degree in psychology in 2014. She received her master's in recreation and sport management from Indiana State University in 2016.
Allegheny Coaching Highlights
2024
- NCAC Newcomer of the Year: Rowan O'Toole
- Three All-NCAC Selections: Rowan O'Toole (1st), Jenna Cassani (2nd), Caroline Smith (2nd)
2023
- Two All-NCAC Selections: Maddy Keenan (2nd), Emily Robles (2nd)
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