Moon Township, Pa. – Katrina Silva announced Wednesday that she has stepped down as head coach of the RMU women's lacrosse program.
"I want to thank my current and former student-athletes, assistant coaches, colleagues and the RMU community for an unforgettable 12 years," Silva said. "It's been an honor to coach the amazing young women that have passed through the program, and I am immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to do so. I'm extremely proud of the accomplishments of this team and the championship program that has been built here. I will cherish the memories that have been made at Joe Walton Stadium, and RMU will always hold a special place in my heart."
Silva was named head coach of the Colonials Dec. 7, 2017, and spent six years at the helm of the program, compiling an overall record of 59-37 (.615), including a mark of 35-7 (.833) in conference action.
RMU finished .500 or better in each of Silva's six seasons in charge of the Colonials and in 2021 established a school record for victories. The Colonials finished 14-3 (.824) overall in their first year as an associate member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). In the inaugural MAC campaign, RMU posted a perfect 10-0 record in claiming the automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
"We want to thank Katrina for her years of dedication and service to RMU," RMU Vice President and Director of Athletics
Chris King '94 said. "Selfishly I personally want to see Coach Silva as head coach for years to come, as she is equally as great of a head coach and role model for our student-athletes, but I truly respect her decision to move onto the next phase of her life."
In addition to the record-breaking 2021 season, under Silva's tutelage the Colonials also earned a share of MAC regular-season championships in both 2022 and 2023. RMU, Central Michigan and Youngstown State each finished 8-2 (.800) in 2022, while in 2023 the Colonials posted a conference mark of 7-1 (.875) to share the honor with Kent State. Named the 2021 MAC Coach of the Year, Silva was instrumental in the development of multiple student-athletes that have claimed postseason accolades. A total of 19 student-athletes earned all-conference plaudits from either the Northeast Conference (NEC) or MAC a total of 26 times since 2018.
The Colonials have excelled defensively during Silva's tenure, with an RMU student-athlete being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year each of the last three seasons.
Shea McArdle claimed the award in 2021, and she was followed by
Madison Griffin (2022) and
Kathleen Kelly (2023). A pair of Colonials were also honored by being tabbed the MAC Goalkeeper of the Year, including
Katelyn Miller in 2021 and
Jamie Keller in 2022.
"Coach Silva cares deeply about the women's lacrosse program at RMU and has had a lasting impact on the lives of past and current student-athletes," King said. "I know I speak for everyone in the RMU community when we express gratitude for all that Katrina has brought to the game of lacrosse and to RMU Athletics. She will be remembered for her contributions to the championship level success of the women's lacrosse program and to our athletics department."
Silva joined the RMU coaching staff as a volunteer assistant in 2012 and also spent five years as an assistant coach from 2013 to 2017 with the Colonials before being elevated to head coach. Overall the 1993 graduate of Towson University spent 12 years at RMU.
In addition to the success on the field during Silva's tenure as head coach at RMU, the Colonials had equal amounts of success off of it, as well. Former midfielder
Dana Davis (2014-18), who owns the RMU career record for ground balls (184), was named the
2018 Northeast Conference Student-Athlete of the Year. The award is presented annually to one female and one male student-athlete across all sports in the NEC and takes into account athletic accomplishments, academic success and community service involvement.
RMU will begin a national search to identify its next head women's lacrosse coach. The Colonials return eight starters and 30 letterwinners from a 2023 squad that appeared in their third consecutive MAC Tournament final.
"We will begin a national search immediately," King said. "We expect a strong pool of candidates to coach a talented group of student-athletes returning and incoming this fall."
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