MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Bill Ross, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Allegheny College, is pleased to announce that veteran North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) coach Lauren Thomas has been tabbed to lead the Gators' field hockey program.

Thomas, who boasts nearly a decade of experience as a Division III coach, spent eight seasons as both an assistant and head coach in the NCAC. She joins the Blue and Gold following her most recent stop as the head field hockey coach at Elmira College of the Empire 8 Conference during the fall of 2022.

"Our field hockey program has ascended rapidly in the NCAC in the first four years of its existence and I want to see that continue, " Ross said. "I am excited Coach Thomas is now at the helm to keep that momentum going. Her track record of success in Division III – and specifically the NCAC – immediately stood out to our search committee."

"I am honored to be the person trusted for the role in leading the program to continued milestones and successes," Thomas said. "As soon as I arrived on campus during the interview process, I was impressed with the campus, the community members, the athletics department, and all of the field hockey team members. I am extremely excited to get started building relationships with the current team and prospects heading into the summer."

A 2014 graduate of Elmira, Thomas served as the head coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, during a four-year span from 2018-22. She mentored four All-Region honorees, 11 All-NCAC selections, and 32 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Academic Squad recipients while guiding the Tigers to 24 wins in three seasons. While navigating the program through the hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, DePauw earned NFHCA National Academic Team awards in each of her four seasons. In 2019, the Tigers went 10-9 with a 5-3 NCAC record and qualified for the NCAC semifinals.

In addition to her four years as the bench boss at DePauw, Thomas spent one season as an assistant with the Tigers in the fall of 2014 and three seasons as an assistant coach at fellow NCAC institution, Ohio Wesleyan University, from 2015-17. In her first stint at DePauw, the Tigers reached as high as No. 5 in the national rankings.

At her alma mater, Thomas, a former goalkeeper during her playing days, helped Elmira's starting goalie post career-best save totals and rank fourth in Division III in saves per game in 2022. Five Soaring Eagles collected NFHCA National Academic Squad accolades, and one was named an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction.

A four-year starting goalie at Elmira, Thomas was a two-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection. She ranks among the all-time leaders in program history in numerous categories, including second with more than 3,500 career minutes and 652 saves. She also served as president of EC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and attended the NCAA Leadership Forum as a student-athlete representative in 2013.

Thomas graduated from Elmira with a degree in psychology in 2014. She received her master's in recreation and sport management from Indiana State University in 2016.

What They Are Saying About Lauren Thomas
"I know Lauren to be an incredibly kind and thoughtful person. She is a fierce competitor with a strong desire for her team to be successful, and balances that with a caring and thoughtful approach. She supports their mental health and when they are experiencing struggles, takes time to get to know them and their families, and is a strong supporter of their academic success."
- Grace Goodbarn, Head Field Hockey Coach, Centre College

"Her field hockey IQ is high. I call Lauren to pick her brain about game situations or how to help a player master a skill. She is my go-to on all goalkeeping questions and created our camp curriculum for keepers. Watching her coach on the field, in practice, and at camp, I see her knowledge, passion, and energy, and her ability to translate those characteristics and expertise into learning for her athletes."
- Gina Wills, Head Field Hockey Coach, Washington & Lee University