Boston College Athletics
USA Lacrosse Names Acacia Walker-Weinstein Head Coach of U.S. Women's National Team
April 11, 2024 | Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, Senior Director of Communications
SPARKS, Maryland - USA Lacrosse has announced that Boston College women's lacrosse head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein has been selected as the U.S. Women's National Team head coach. A two-time U.S. gold medalist, Walker-Weinstein's appointment will run through the 2026 World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Japan.
Walker-Weinsten helped bring home a pair of gold medals in 1999 at the U19 world championship and in 2009 on the women's senior team.Â
"Acacia brings a positive energy into every situation and has used that enthusiasm to take the Boston College program to new heights," said USA Lacrosse CEO Marc Riccio. "From being the youngest player on our 1999 U19 team, to being one of the final cuts from our 2005 senior team to winning gold in 2009, she's had a long history with our national team program that will help her connect with the players."
Walker-Weinstein knows the goal is to win a gold medal, but she also wants to make an impact on the sport with the way the U.S. team plays under her leadership, building on the success of the coaches who have come before her.
"I want it to be exciting to watch," Walker-Weinstein said. "I want the players to feel liberated and free to play with their own personal brand. I want the lacrosse to be exciting to watch. I want it to be difficult for the opponents to stop. I want it to be a product that makes the fans say, 'That is the way women's lacrosse should be played.'"
Walker-Weinstein has been the head coach at Boston College since the 2013 season and has transformed the Eagles into one of the nation's elite programs. Boston College has played in six straight NCAA championship games and won the school's first national title in 2021. She has the Eagles at 12-2 and ranked third in the nation going into this weekend, while BC's 133 wins are first in the nation since 2017.Â
Walker-Weinstein was the IWLCA National Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2021 and compiled 173 wins in her first 11 seasons, including a school-record 22 in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Four of her Boston College players – Sam Apuzzo, Dempsey Arsenault, Charlotte North and Kenzie Kent – played on the 2022 U.S. women's team that won the world championship and another, Kristin Igoe, played on the 2013 world championship team.
She first came to Boston College as the associate head coach and in 2011 helped the school reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. Prior to coming to BC, she spent two seasons as the associate head coach at the University of Massachusetts, helping the team win back-to-back Atlantic 10 championships. From 2005 through 2008 she was an assistant coach at Northwestern, helping the school win three national championships.
The U.S. women's senior team has won a record nine world championships, including the four most recent. The U.S. won the inaugural championship in 1982, followed by Australia winning in 1986. The U.S. then won four straight championships before Australia beat the U.S. in the 2005 gold medal game. Walker-Weinstein was on the 2009 U.S. team that started the current string of four straight world titles, including the 2022 event which marked the first time the host nation had won the championship.
About USA Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As the governing body of men's and women's lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse leads the U.S. National Teams Program and establishes universal standards. With more than 400,000 members across the country, USA Lacrosse unites the community of players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. Working together, we inspire participation, enrich the athlete experience, and support the growth of the sport.
