Boston College Receives Gift to Endow Head Women's Lacrosse Coaching Position

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College Athletics has received a $2.5 million gift from Phil Schiller '82 and Kim Gassett-Schiller, P'24 to endow the head coaching position for the BC women's lacrosse program.

The Schiller Family Head Coach for Women's Lacrosse position is the third women's head coaching endowment in BC Athletics history. Acacia Walker-Weinstein, who has guided the Eagles to two national championships and eight straight trips to the NCAA Division I Final Four, will be the first to hold the position in women's lacrosse.

"We are extremely grateful to Phil, Kim, and the entire Schiller family for this transformative gift," said William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Blake James. "Their generosity honors the historic achievements of our women's lacrosse program and ensures that we will continue to build a legacy of excellence for years to come. We are profoundly thankful for the Schiller Family's dedication to Boston College, our athletics department, and our student-athletes."

Phil Schiller, a Boston College Trustee, is a fellow at Apple, responsible for leading the App Store and Apple Events. Originally from Newton, Mass., he was the firm's top marketing executive until stepping aside in August 2020. During his time as Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, a position he held from 2002 until 2020, he was also a member of the firm's Executive Team. He helped the company create the Mac, lead the digital music revolution with iPod and iTunes, reinvent mobile phones with iPhone and the App Store, and define the future of mobile computing with the iPad.

The Schillers made a $5 million donation which endowed the head men's hockey coaching position in 2012. At the time, it was the largest gift to a BC Athletics team and was the first coaching endowment at any Hockey East member institution. Additionally, they have endowed scholarships with the men's and women's ice hockey teams - The Schiller Family Scholarship for Men's Ice Hockey and The Schiller Family Women's Hockey Scholarship.

In 2017, the Schillers pledged a multi-year naming gift totaling $25 million for Boston College's Institute for Integrated Science and Society, which addresses critical societal issues in the areas of energy, health, and the environment. They are longtime supporters of financial aid through the annual Boston College Pops on the Heights: the Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala and are also co-chairs of Soaring Higher: the Campaign for Boston College, the University's $3 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign, which includes a goal of $400 million to support BC Athletics.

"Acacia Walker-Weinstein has led the Boston College women's lacrosse team to become one of the premier programs in the country," Phil Schiller and Kim Gassett-Schiller said. "Under her outstanding leadership, the Eagles have advanced to the NCAA Final Four in each of the last eight seasons, including national titles in 2021 and 2024, while producing three Tewaaraton Award winners and over 40 All-American honorees. We could not be more proud to support Acacia and the entire BC women's lacrosse team for all the success they have had and all that is to come. Go Eagles!"

Boston College women's lacrosse has been a fixture among the top programs in the country during the past decade. Since 2017, Walker-Weinstein has guided BC to the most wins by any Division I program in the country - 158 - including capturing three ACC regular season titles and two ACC Championships. During that span, the Eagles have won two national championships - in 2021 and 2024.

"I am honored to be named the Schiller Family Head Coach for Women's Lacrosse and am excited to formally thank the Schillers for their gift to our program," Walker-Weinstein said. "The sustained support for the women's lacrosse program will be instrumental for us to continue to succeed at the highest level. Thank you so much for believing in us."

Boston College Receives Gift to Endow Head Women's Lacrosse Coaching Position

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