Liza Kelly will enter her 21st season as the head coach of the University of Denver women's lacrosse program in 2027 after leading the Pioneers to their eighth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and sixth-straight Big East Tournament title.

In 2026, the Pioneers finished the season with a 16-4 record, with all four losses coming to ranked opponents, coming in at seventh in the nation in win percentage (.800). DU's hot pink defense led the nation with 6.90 goals against average and a 0.531 save percentage. Denver earned a seventh consecutive Big East Regular Season title and sixth-straight tournament title. The Denver offense ranked 17th in the nation, averaging 14 goals per game and earned a program-first win over Florida in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Denver finished the 2025 season with a 14-6 record. The Pioneers recorded a six-game winning streak and captured their sixth regular-season title and fifth consecutive tournament title.

The Pioneers finished the 2024 season with a 16-4 record, with all four losses coming to top-10 opponents, coming in at eighth in the country in win percentage (.800). Denver recorded a 13-game winning streak, the fifth longest in program history and a fifth-consecutive undefeated Big East Conference slate and fourth-straight tournament title.

DU's hot pink defense continued to shine, ranking fourth in the nation with 11.45 caused turnovers per game and the scoring defense average 9.20 goals per game, good for 15th nationally.

Denver had the most wins and tied for the fewest losses in the nation in 2023 by going 22-1, with its only defeat coming to eventual national champion Northwestern. DU completed the first undefeated regular season in team history (17-0) and won each of its first 22 games, marking the longest winning streak in program’s annals en route to the team’s fourth consecutive Big East Conference regular-season title and third straight tournament championship.

Kelly owns a 346-124 overall record in her coaching career and is 282-91 during her time at DU. She picked up her 300th career victory with a 5-4 win in the national quarterfinals at No. 4 North Carolina on May 18, 2023, becoming the 13th Division-I coach to reach the milestone and did so in just 409 games (.733).

The Baltimore, Maryland, native and her staff was recognized as the 2023 IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year, the second award in as many seasons for Denver after Kelly was recognized in 2022 as the West/Midwest Coach of the Year. Kelly also won the award in 2013.

Leading the team’s defense, the Pioneers led the country by allowing just 6.22 goals against per game—the fewest by any squad since Southern California in 2016 (5.81). Offensively, the Pioneers scored double-digit goals in 14 straight games from March 13 to May 12, and the team ranked 10th in the country in scoring margin—winning by an average of 5.70 goals per contest.

The Pioneers went 9-1 against ranked opponents in 2023 and earned three wins against top-five teams, all of which came away from Denver. DU beat then-No. 5 Maryland on March 5 in what was just the sixth home loss by the Terrapins in coach Cathy Reese's tenure. The Pios also won a neutral-site contest versus then-No. 4 Boston College on April 19 in Jacksonville, Florida, and their quarterfinal outing at No. 4 North Carolina on May 18. This was the first time in program history that Denver won multiple games against top-five squads.

Kelly's squad went 18-3 overall and in 2022, which saw the team go undefeated the Big East regular season (5-0) and claim consecutive tournament championships for the first time in school history after also winning the trophy in 2021. Pioneers sported a 7-1 record on the road and began the season on a six-game winning streak, the longest stretch to begin a campaign in program history. Denver reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight season after defeating Vermont 16-3 in Round 1.

The Pioneers ranked first in the nation with a school-record 273 caused turnovers in 2022, averaging 13.0 per game (second in the NCAA). Denver also ranked fifth in the country in both total ground balls (393) and goals-against average (8.38). She was recognized by the Big East for having the Coaching Staff of the Year in 2022, and her team was ranked as high as No. 8 in the country in the Inside Lacrosse/IWLCA Coaches Poll, the highest ranking for the team at the time since the end of the 2019 campaign. She picked up her 200th victory at Denver on Feb. 25, 2022 vs. Ohio State.

Denver claimed its first Big East Tournament Championship in 2021 after going 16-2 during the regular season and going 10-0 in conference play. The Pioneers, who won 16 straight games, returned to the NCAA Tournament that season after no postseason was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and defeated Stanford in the first round.

In addition to the trip to the NCAA Tournament, Denver's defense finished third in the country in caused turnovers per game at 12.56 and 10th in the country in scoring defense at 9.39 goals allowed per game.

In 2020, Kelly led the Pioneers to a 7-1 record. DU entered the season at No. 10 in the IWLCA preseason poll, the highest preseason rank in program history. The Pioneers landed two players on the Tewaaraton watch list to begin the season and earned five Big East player of the week honors. Denver finished the season ranked No. 16 in the final IWLCA poll.

In 2019, Kelly led the Pioneers to a 16-4 record, a runner-up finish in the Big East Tournament and an NCAA Tournament appearance in their third season in the Big East Conference. DU finished as the Big East Tournament runner-up for the third straight season after falling to Georgetown in the title game. Kelly guided the Pioneers to their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. All four appearances were under the guidance of Kelly.

During the 2019 year, Denver had an RPI of 17 and was ranked throughout the entire season for the first time in program history. DU ranked No. 1 in scoring defense for six-consecutive weeks, leading the Pioneers to their first perfect Big East regular season title, going 5-0. The Crimson and Gold tallied a 4-1 home record, went 9-1 on the road and 3-2 at neutral sites. In eight instances the Pioneers held their opponents to five goals or less, and scored 20+ goals in four contests throughout the year.

Kelly reached another milestone in her coaching career during the 2018 season. In the March 29 game versus Colorado, Kelly recorded her 150th win at the helm of the Pioneers’ program with the 10-8 victory.

In 2017, the Pioneers finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense (8.44), eighth in caused turnovers per game (11.61) and 11th in scoring margin (4.83). Denver led the Big East in scoring defense, while on an individual basis, Voorhees led the conference in caused turnovers by game (2.33), Julia Feiss led in shots on goal per game (4.94) and Stevenson led in goals-against average at 8.65.

On March 12, 2017, Kelly recorded her 200th career win with a 14-4 victory over Vermont.

In 2016, DU went .500 at 9-9, while in 2015 Kelly led the Pioneers to a 13-5 finish and their fourth straight winning season.

Kelly led DU to its second-straight NCAA Tournament in 2014, where the Pios beat Jacksonville to advance to the Round of 16. Denver went undefeated in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for the second season in a row in 2014 and finished the year with a 19-2 record.

Denver completed the 2013 season with an 18-3 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in the MPSF. DU was ranked No. 16 in the final IWLCA Coaches Poll. The Crimson and Gold ranked second in the nation in caused turnovers (11.76), fourth in win percentage (.857), fifth in points (433.0) and ninth in scoring offense (13.9). Denver broke a team record, set a season before, by winning 15-straight games.

In 2012, the Pioneers posted a 12-3 overall record and a 6-1 record in the MPSF. DU was No. 1 in the nation in caused turnovers (12.6 per game), 10th in scoring offense (13.93 goals per game) and 11th in scoring margin (4.2). The Pioneers also set a team record by winning 12-straight games.

The Pioneers went 13-5 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the MPSF in 2010. Denver advanced to the MPSF Championship Tournament final, which DU hosted at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, but was edged 11-10 by Stanford in double overtime. Denver ended the season ranked No. 20 in the nation.

Kelly led the Pioneers to a record of 13-6 overall and 5-0 in the MPSF, concluding the 2008 season ranked No. 19 in the nation. In 2007, Kelly steered DU to a 16-3 mark and a 5-0 sweep of the MPSF schedule, ending the season ranked No. 15. In Kelly’s first two years at DU she led her players to success. Kristie Leggio (2007) and Kelly O’Connell (2008) picked up IWLCA All-America honors during their careers and were named MPSF Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

In addition to her duties with Denver, Kelly serves on the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse committee.

Prior to DU, Kelly served five years as the head coach at Boston University. She posted an impressive 64-33 (.660) mark as head coach at BU, including consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and America East regular season and tournament championships in 2005 and 2006. The Terriers finished in the top 10 in the national rankings in Kelly’s final two seasons, and Kelly was named America East Coach of the Year twice during her five-year tenure at BU.

During Kelly’s tenure, 24 players were named to the America East Honor Roll, while five received selection to the Commissioner’s High Honor Roll. In addition, six Terriers received IWLCA Academic Honor Roll accolades. During her five seasons at BU, 15 different Terriers earned a combined 26 selections to the all-conference first team, while 11 players received a combined 19 regional All-America accolades, including the first two first-team All-Americans in program history.

Before taking over the reins at BU, Kelly served under Linda Ohrin as an assistant coach at Towson University for three years. Kelly coached the Tigers’ defense and assisted in scouting and recruiting.

As a player, Kelly was a standout midfielder at the University of Delaware from 1995-98, earning All-America honors in 1996, 1997 and 1998, before playing for the United States National Team from 1997-2001. Kelly was inducted into the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Baltimore Chapter of U.S Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2009.

Kelly has held a number of coaching positions. In addition to traveling throughout the U.S. teaching lacrosse, she has been an ambassador for the game of lacrosse all over the world. In 1995, she traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to teach the sport to Japanese university students.

Name	Title	Phone	Email Address
Liza Kelly	Women's Lacrosse Head Coach	303-871-4703	ekelly23@du.edu
Taylor VanThof	Associate Head Coach \| Offensive and Recruiting Coordinator		taylor.vanthof@du.edu
Lauren Spence	Assistant Coach		Lauren.Spence@du.edu
Maddie Montgomery	Assistant Coach, Skill Instruction and Recruiting
Megan Zeman	Director of Operations	303-871-7648	Megs.Zeman@du.edu

Upcoming Events

Results

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse at (8) Colorado on May 10, 2026 , Loss , 9, to, 11

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse versus Florida on May 8, 2026 , Win , 16, to, 8

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse versus (2) Georgetown on May 2, 2026 , Win , 12, to, 4

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse versus (4) Marquette on April 30, 2026 , Win , 17, to, 6

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse at Georgetown on April 25, 2026 , Win , 11, to, 5

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse versus Xavier on April 18, 2026 , Win , 19, to, 1

2027 Women's Lacrosse Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff

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