NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig has hired Lauren Gunning as ODU’s women’s lacrosse head coach, Selig announced on Monday.
“I would like to thank search chair Daniella Cohea and the committee members Bruce Stewart and Aimee Clark for their thorough and comprehensive national search that led us to Lauren Gunning,” Selig said. “ODU women’s lacrosse is well positioned for the future as Coach Gunning’s teaching and recruiting acumen combined with her wealth of experience will position us well to compete for American Athletic Conference championships and national prominence in women’s lacrosse. We welcome Coach Gunning to the Monarch family."
Gunning comes to ODU from USC, where she was the associate head coach for the previous five seasons. She helped lead the Trojans to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and a Pac-12 Championship in 2023.
“I am truly honored and incredibly grateful to be named the head coach of the Old Dominion Women’s Lacrosse Program,” Gunning said. “I want to thank Dr. Wood Selig and everyone involved in the search process for their confidence in me and the vision we share for the future of this program. What stood out to me throughout this process was the people, the passionate community, and the strong foundation that already exists here. From the moment I began learning more about Old Dominion, it was clear that this is a special place with the potential to achieve great things.”
Gunning spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach at UConn. She returned to her alma mater in the summer of 2014 and coached her first six seasons as a Huskies assistant. She was elevated to the position of associate head coach in 2021.
Gunning directed UConn’s offensive unit and helped the Huskies win 59 games during her time with the Huskies. In both 2016 and 2021, Connecticut reached a program-record 12 wins. In 2021, Gunning helped UConn earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history and for the first time since 2013.
While on staff, Gunning coached attacker Grace Nolan who graduated as UConn’s all-time leader in points and goals. Under her guidance, Nolan was named a third-team IWLCA All-American in 2018 and was a two-time Big East Attacker of the Year.
In 2015, her first season at UConn, Gunning helped lead the Huskies to the Big East Tournament title game for the first time and to a fourth straight season in double-digit wins. She was honored with the Huskies’ staff as part of the Big East Coaching Staff of the Year.
Prior to coaching at her alma mater, Gunning spent three years at Cincinnati (2012-14). There, she worked primarily with the Bearcats’ offensive unit and had a hand in the development of Cincinnati’s goalkeepers. Gunning was also part of UC recruiting and scouting efforts and helped the Bearcats match a program record with seven wins in 2013.
Gunning started her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Iona in the fall of 2011 and worked directly with the attack unit.
As a player at UConn, Gunning tallied 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) for the Huskies and was named to the Big East All-Academic Team in each of her four seasons. She served as a team captain in her senior season and produced a career-high seven goals.
“We are so excited to welcome Lauren to Norfolk as the next leader of our women's lacrosse program,” added Cohea. “Her player-first philosophy aligns perfectly with the culture we strive to create for our student-athletes. Lauren brings with her an impressive lacrosse IQ, proven track record for skill development, and championship-level standards. We are confident she will have a tremendous impact on our program both on and off the field."
A native of Hunt Valley, Maryland, Gunning graduated from UConn with a bachelor's degree in sports management and completed her time at Connecticut with a 3.6 GPA and Dean's list honors.
“I am excited to get to know our student-athletes, connect with alumni and supporters, and build meaningful relationships throughout the Monarch community,” Gunning said. “Together, we will work to create a program that competes at a high level and represents Old Dominion with pride. I can’t wait to get started. Go Monarchs!”