By Cameron Mitchell / The Jambar
Over the summer, the Youngstown State University women’s lacrosse team hired a new head coach. This comes after the departure of former Head Coach Rob Harris.
In July, Ron Strollo, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics, hired first-time Head Coach Liza Oakley to lead the Penguins.
Oakley was first introduced to lacrosse in high school, where she was a four-year letterwinner as a defender and a three-time Northeast Conference All-Academic selection at Mount St. Mary’s University.
Oakley’s coaching career began in the same year she graduated. In 2018, she became a graduate assistant at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia and served as the team’s offensive and draw team coordinator.
After leaving the University of Lynchburg in 2021, Oakley took her talents to Fresno State University. She continued her defensive coaching and also worked with the team’s goal keepers.
In her first season with Fresno State, she coached former Bulldog Courtney Walburger, who ranked fourth nationally in saves per game and third in the NCAA in total saves.
Oakley continued coaching in 2022, as an assistant coach at Butler University. She led the defense and helped guide two athletes to second-team All-Big East honors.
With Oakley now leading the Penguins, Strollo stated that her background will contribute to the team’s success, especially considering future conference play.
“[Oakley] brings a variety of experiences to our program that we feel will help YSU women’s lacrosse become a perennial contender in the Mid-American Conference,” Strollo stated.
Oakley said her first head coaching position fulfills a long-term dream, and adds to her eagerness in leading the team.
“I’ve always been very goal-oriented and I’ve known for a long time in my career just the steps I’ve taken that I ultimately wanted to be a head coach,” Oakley said. “I am so excited to coach them. We have really just built a strong chemistry and are gritty and tough, and that’s something I love to coach.”
Heading into the season, Oakley said she plans to help the team focus and build on the sport’s fundamentals in preseason, nonconference and conference play.
“Fall is a lot of fundamentals and building the foundation so you can be prepared and implement more high-level things when you come to spring for preseason,” Oakley said. “Conference play is definitely some of the hardest points of the season because you are scouted and you start to see tendencies from the previous games in the season.”
Oakley will make her coaching debut Sep. 20 in Columbus against The Ohio State University.
Cutline: Lisa Oakley was hired as the Penguins new lacrosse head coach after the departure of former Head Coach Rob Harris.
