Lisa Miller
Head Coach 1998-2007
Overall Record: 106-53 (.666 pct)
2007 BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Lisa Miller started the Syracuse women’s lacrosse program and has brought it to national prominence. One of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, Miller compiled a 106-53 record and a .666 percent winning percentage. In her ten seasons at the helm, the Orange posted a winning season each year, ranking among the best in the NCAA. In her final season, Miller led her team to its most successful campaign in school history, which earned her the honor of 2007 BIG EAST Coach of the Year.
National Recognition at SU
During her tenure at Syracuse, women’s lacrosse student-athletes have been among the most decorated players on The Hill. In 2007, three players, who led the SU offense to a school-record 288 goals, earned All-America accolades. Katie Rowan became the third player in school history to garner first-team accolades, while Ashley Pike and Halley Quillinan earned third-team honors.
2007 brought the entire team success, as they became BIG EAST champions in the conference’s inaugural tournament. They advanced to the Quarterfinal round in the NCAA tournament for the first time.
In 2006, junior Gaddy Fortune became the ninth player in the program’s history to garner Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-America accolades. Miller has mentored at least one All-American in each of the past eight seasons for a total of 14 awards.
The 2006 postseason honors did not end with Fortune’s All-America nod. Fortune and freshman Katie Rowan were selected as first-team regional All-Americans, while Stephanie Bissett earned second-team accolades. The three regional standouts were joined by Kristin Brady and Chelsea Strodel on the All-BIG EAST team, with Fortune and Rowan earning unanimous selection. Miller has coached 16 regional All-Americans who have earned 26 awards during her nine-year tenure and 18 All-BIG EAST selections a combined 27 times during the six years of the conference.
In 2005, Miller guided Syracuse to the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons as the Orange earned its fifth invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse was edged by Dartmouth, 9-8, in the first round.
During the 2004 season, Miller led Leigh-Ann Zimmer to national prominence, helping Zimmer earn first-team All-America accolades. Zimmer, who also earned BIG EAST Attack Player of the Year honors, joined Stacey Brown as Orange first-team All-Americans. Brown was recognized in 2001. Zimmer was also the second SU student-athlete to be named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Carrie Soults received Midfield of the Year honors in the conference’s inaugural season in 2001.
The Orange qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2003 under Miller’s leadership. During those four seasons, Syracuse competed on the field with great success, posting nine victories against ranked opponents. In 2003, the Orange defeated NCAA runner-up and perennial power Virginia, who was ranked third in the nation at the time, for the second of three consecutive seasons.
During the 2000 season, Syracuse posted the longest winning streak in the program’s history with 11 consecutive victories. The nearly two-month stretch helped the Orange earn its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in only its third season of competition.
Miller led the Orange to a perfect 2-0 record in the team’s first postseason appearance in 1999, winning the ECAC Championship title. For her efforts, she was named the North Region’s Coach of the Year by the IWLCA and was one of three finalists of the Division I National Coach of the Year Award.
In the program’s first year in 1998, Syracuse finished the season with a 9-4 record and possessed the most potent offense in the country, leading the nation in scoring with 15.08 goals-per-game average. The Orange ranked first in the NCAA in scoring margin, outscoring opponents by an average of 7.3 goals.
Miller’s student-athletes not only excelled on the field, but they perform in the classroom as well. In 2005, the team was recognized as an IWLCA Academic Squad by achieving a GPA of over 3.0. Miller also guided three student-athletes to CoSIDA Academic All-District honors and Carrie Soults became the first person in the program’s history to earn Academic All-America honors in 2002.
Coaching Start
Miller began her collegiate coaching career as an associate head coach at Wheaton College, a Division III program in Norton, Mass. There she learned the necessary skills all strong coaches need to build a program. In her three years at Wheaton, her team grew from one that played “a man down” with seven beginners to one that posed a formidable threat and achieved an 8-6 record two seasons later. Wheaton’s team also celebrated two league rookie of the year awards during Miller’s tenure.
Miller became an assistant coach at Brown University in February of 1994. During her first year, her primary responsibility was coaching the goalies, but her duties were soon extended to recruiting, coaching the defense and orchestrating the fast-break attack. In her third year with the program, Brown shattered its all-time scoring record, finished 10-4, and was ranked 15th in the country. That season the Bears produced two All-Americans and the 1996 Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
All-American Player
As a player at the College of William & Mary, one of the top women’s programs in the country, Miller left her mark. She was captain of her team, the 1987 Outstanding Female Senior Athlete and an All-American. She was also a member of the U.S. Lacrosse Team as a senior.
In March of 2004, Miller became only the third women’s lacrosse player at William & Mary to be inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame.
International Experience
In January of 2007, Miller was named the Canadian National Team Head Coach after serving as an assistant coach for the Canadian team in 2001. At the World Cup, held in England, Miller’s team lost to the host country in the bronze-medal game.
As a player, Miller continued to compete for the U.S. after college, finishing her playing career as an alternate on the 1989 World Cup Team.
