Jennifer Kent - Lacrosse Coach - Boston College Athletics

Jennifer Kent

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
kentjf@bc.edu

Jennifer Kent is in her 19th year in 2026 on the sidelines with the Eagles. She focuses her attention on the defensive end but also plays a crucial role in individual development. On June 10, 2022, she was promoted to associate head coach.

"Jen Kent deserves this recognition and promotion to associate head coach. She has been with me since the beginning and her tireless work ethic has lifted us to the highest heights. I can't thank her enough," Walker-Weinstein said.

Kent in 2024 was added to the 2026 US Senior National Team as the team's operations administrator, joining head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein.

BC's defense just as impressive in 2025, as it boasted the second-best scoring defense allowing just 7.73 goals per game - the second straight season of a defense that ranked in the top five in scoring defense.

For a second straight season, an Eagle was named the ACC Defender of the Year as Shea Baker claimed honor. Baker was a First-Team All-American after earning a career-high 43 caused turnovers, 37 ground balls and 99 draw controls. Baker and fellow defensive teammate Lydia Colasante were All-ACC selections, while Colasante recorded a career-high 20 caused turnovers with 53 draw controls and 23 ground balls. BC's defensive efficiency at 23.2 percent was fifth in the country.

The Eagles continued their defensive dominance in 2024, where BC led the ACC and finished fourth in the country allowing just 8.43 goals per game and was sixth in the ACC causing 8.57 turnovers per game. The defense held its opponents to under 10 goals in 15 of 23 games, including just 20 goals in three games en route to an ACC championship.

Her defense helped the Eagles come back from a 6-0 deficit against Northwestern, limiting the Wildcats to just seven goals over the last three periods.

Sydney Scales, the defensive anchor for BC, repeated as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and IWLCA Defensive Player of the Year. Colasante was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team while Shea Baker was the U20 U.S. National Team Captain and the Eagles' captain going into the season.

In 2023, Boston College continued its run as a powerhouse, where it advanced to a sixth straight Final Four and national title game after 13 straight wins. On its way to the Final Four, BC earned a third ACC regular-season title since 2018 and the program's first-ever ACC championship, ending UNC's streak of six straight titles with an 11-9 win.

The defense was one of the best in the nation, finishing 12th in the nation in scoring defense and seventh in defensive efficiency. In the postseason, the Eagles held their first six opponents to under 10 goals by eight goals under their season average.

Scales was named the ACC's Defender of the Year, becoming the first BC player since 2018 to win the prestigious award. She was the only player in the ACC to lead her team in both categories and the only player with at least 30 caused turnovers and ground balls.

Scales has played a pivotal role in BC's successful season. The Eagles held all three opponents in the ACC under 10 goals, while holding Notre Dame to a season low in goals and holding UNC scoreless over the final 23 minutes to secure the title. Scales was named All-ACC First Team and to the all-tournament team.

Dolce was the first freshman since Covie Stanwick in 2012 to be named freshman of the year.

Dolce led the country among freshmen in both goals against average and save percentage. She is also third and fourth, respectively, in both categories. She was the only freshmen in the conference to be named ACC Player of the Week (co overall) at least twice and the only freshman to win IWLCA Player of the Week. She was named the ACC Tournament MVP after making 19 saves in the three wins.

The Eagles continued their dominance as one of the perennial powerhouses in the country, advancing to a fifth straight national title. BC finished 19-4 and No. 3 in the country at the end of the regular season. Kent helped the Eagles jump 10 spots from 2021 in scoring defense, ranking 20th in the nation and second in the ACC. Sydney Scales and Courtney Taylor were two of the five IWLCA All-Americans. Scales was fourth in the ACC in ground balls per game and Scales and Taylor were in the top 10 in the league in caused turnovers per game.

Kent helped the Eagles break through in 2021 as they captured their first-ever national championship. BC earned an upset victory over No. 1 North Carolina in the national semifinals before downing No. 3 Syracuse in a 16-10 triumph in the NCAA Final. Boston College defeated 13 ranked opponents in the historic season.

In 2019, Kent's defense held off 10 nationally-ranked opponents during the regular season en route to their third consecutive NCAA Championship appearance. Under her guidance, defender Elizabeth Miller earned First Team All-American recognition for the second consecutive season.

In 2018, she helped coach the team to their sixth NCAA appearance in a row and second consecutive NCAA Championship game appearance.

In both the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Kent was a member of the coaching staff that advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Championship Tournament. In that time, she helped Mikaela Rix and Covie Stanwick twice receive IWLCA All-American honors while guiding Sarah Mannelly to an All-American nod in 2015 as well as the first ever Tewaaraton Award finalist in program history.

In 2013, Kent assisted the Eagles to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, beating Bryant and Loyola before finally falling to Syracuse. During the 2014 season BC reached a national ranking as high as No. 4. She helped coached two players to IWLCA All-American honors and four to IWLCA All-Northwest Region honors. Kent and the women’s lacrosse coaching staff the program to a 15-6 overall record and a 3-4 ACC record.

In 2013, the Eagles had a milestone year, earning their second NCAA berth in program history, and the defensive end was a large part of that success.

A native of Norwell, Mass., and a graduate of Thayer Academy – where she was inducted into the Thayer Academy Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 – Kent was a four-year letterwinner at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. She played soccer, basketball and lacrosse for the Mules. In lacrosse, she was a two-year captain, MVP, and leading scorer. Kent earned Brine/IWLCA 2nd Team All-American honors in her senior season in 1990.

Upon graduation from Colby, Kent joined the staff at the Hyde School in Bath, Maine where she taught and coached lacrosse and soccer, eventually becoming the Dean of Students and Athletic Director. Her accolades at Hyde include the 1995 Maine State Championship in lacrosse.

After leaving Hyde, Kent became the varsity lacrosse coach at Norwell High School in 1998 where she won back-to-back state titles in 2005 and 2006 and was named Massachusetts Coach of the Year in 2005. In addition to her coaching duties at Norwell, Kent was also the co-director of Norwell Youth Lacrosse and the co-director and owner of Xtreme Lacrosse and Soccer camps.

Kent has significant ties to Boston College, as her four siblings are alumni of BC – Michelle Lally O'Grady `89, Rob Lally `90, Doug Lally `91, and Greg Lally '96.

Kent currently lives in Norwell with her husband Jeff, and their six children: Alicia, Callahan, Kenzie, Parker, Addison and Bailey.

THE KENT FILE
Hometown:   Norwell, Mass.
Education: Thayer Academy, ‘86
Colby College, ’90 – B.A.

COACHING CAREER
2022-pres Boston College - Associated Head Coach
2008-2022 Boston College – Assistant Coach
1998-2008   Norwell High School – Head Coach
1990-98 Hyde School – Head Coach

PLAYING CAREER
1986-90   Colby College
1982-86   Thayer Academy

NCAA TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
2025 Semifinals      Boston College - Associate Head Coach
2024 Championship Boston College - Associate Head Coach
2023   Championship Boston College - Associate Head Coach
2022 Championship Boston College - Assistant Coach
2021 Championship Boston College - Assistant Coach
2021 Championship Boston College - Assistant Coach
2019 Championship Boston College - Assistant Coach
2018 Championship Boston College - Assistant Coach
2017 Championship Boston College - Assistant Coach
2016 First Round Boston College - Assistant Coach
2015 Second Round Boston College - Assistant Coach
2014 Quarterfinals Boston College - Assistant Coach
2013   First Round    Boston College - Assistant Coach
2011   First Round    Boston College - Assistant Coach