Penn State makes headline-grabbing hire for women’s lacrosse vacancy

Pat Kraft continues to go all in on his pursuit of championship-caliber athletics in Happy Valley. On Wednesday, the university announced that Kayla Treanor had been hired as the next head coach of Penn State women’s lacrosse. Treanor replaces Missy Doherty, who stepped down after 15 seasons earlier in May.

“I’m honored to be named the head coach of Penn State women’s lacrosse,” Treanor said in a statement. “I want to thank Pat Kraft and the entire athletics department for their trust in me and for the significant investment they’re making in this program. Penn State is committed to winning at the highest level, and so am I. Our sights are set on bringing a national championship to Happy Valley, and I’m excited to lead this team into a new era of success.”

Treanor arrives in State College by way of Syracuse, where she compiled a 59-24 record over four seasons as head coach. Making the NCAA Tournament each year leading the Orange, Treanor guided Syracuse to consecutive ACC regular season titles and national semifinal appearances in 2023 and 2024. She also spent time as an assistant at Harvard (2017) and Boston College (2018-2021), helping the Eagles to win the national championship in 2021.

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“We are thrilled to welcome Kayla Treanor to our Penn State family as our women’s lacrosse head coach,” said Kraft. “Her unparalleled experience as both a player and coach make her the perfect leader for our program. I know Kayla will elevate our program to new heights after seeing firsthand her passion for developing student-athletes, championship mindset, and commitment to excellence.”

On the field, Treanor led the Orange to four straight Final Four appearances between 2013 and 2016. Leaving Syracuse as the program’s all-time scoring leader, she is the only player in school history to be named a four-time Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association first-team All-American. An accomplished player for Team USA, Treanor will serve as an assistant on the Senior National Team for the 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Japan.

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