(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – Wilson College Director of Athletics Tina Hill has announced that Avery Murphy has been hired as the new head coach of the Phoenix women's lacrosse team. She takes over for
Brooke DellaValle who led the Phoenix to the CSAC Championship final with an all-time program best record of 12-5.
"I am honored to be named the next head women's lacrosse coach at Wilson College. I knew that when I stepped on campus and met with the administrators and student-athletes that Wilson is a place where community and commitment matter," said Murphy. "I would like to thank Tina Hill, Director of Athletics, for this incredible opportunity. My goal is to bring my experience as a coach and a player to this program and build on their current success. I cannot wait to start my journey as a Phoenix!"
"We're excited to welcome Coach Murphy to the Phoenix family! She brings a tremendous amount of passion for the game and care for student success both on the field and in the classroom," added Hill. "As an accomplished player herself, she understands the effort required to build a strong and determined team and we can't wait to have her arrive on campus and get started in the new year."
Murphy comes to Chambersburg with a highly decorated resume as both a player and a coach. She joins Wilson after being the head coach at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, just outside of the state capital of Austin. Last season Murphy guided the Pirates to its best winning percentage in program history with a 9-1 record.
Prior to heading to the Lonestar State, Murphy was an assistant coach for King's College in Wilkes-Barre and Alvernia in Reading.
Murphy graduated from Cabrini in 2019 after a stellar career. In three seasons she led the Cavaliers to three consecutive conference championships – two of which were in the CSAC and resulted in postseason bids to the NCAA tournament – and won three Player of the Year awards.
During her senior season she pulled in 206 draw controls, a mark that ranks third all-time in Division III history. Murphy totaled 452 draw controls during her career which ranks No. 12 all-time. The 7.29 draw controls per game also sits No. 22 in the Division III ranks. She started her collegiate career at Ohio State University where she helped the Buckeyes reach a national ranking as high as eighth.
Murphy is a native of Philadelphia suburb of Paoli.
