Furman University

Greenville, SC 29613

South Carolina Southeast

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Kirkland Lewis

Kirkland Lewis is in her third season as head coach of the Furman women's lacrosse program. Lewis was announced as the second head coach in program history on November 16, 2021 by Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Jason Donnelly.

The Lansdale, Pa., native guided Furman to a 10-8 overall record, its sixth 10-plus win campaign in program history, while posting a second straight 7-2 record against Big South opponents. The Paladins made their second consecutive appearance in the Big South Women’s Lacrosse Championship semifinals after finishing the regular season on a three-game winning streak over Gardner-Webb, Wofford, and Presbyterian. Furman set a new program record with 269 draws, suprassing the old mark of 257 in 2017. Four Paladins earned postseason honors from the Big South in Meagan Beal (first team), Hannah Dintino (first team), Katelyn Sousa (first team), and Anna Roser (second team).

In her first season in Greenville, Lewis le Furman into its first season in the Big South Conference in 2022, guiding the Paladins to an 8-8 overall record and a tie for third place in the league standings with a 7-2 mark. Lewis led the Furman to a semifinal appearance in the Big South Women’s Lacrosse Championship after defeating Winthrop in the first round. She coached two first team All-Big South performers in Beal and Lauren Farber, as well as two second team selections in Dintino and Sousa.

The Paladins’ first-ever Big South win came on March 30, 2022 when they defeated rival Wofford 20-11 at Paladin Stadium. The 2022 squad set a new program mark with just over 15 draws per game led by Beal’s school record 99.

Furman has also excelled in the classroom under Lewis’ leadership, earning back-to-back IWLCA Academic Honor Squad citations in 2022 and 2023. The Paladins have also had 10 selections to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. This past season, Beal, Dintino, and Lily Rathbun were selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

Lewis came to Greenville after serving as an assistant coach at Bucknell during the 2021 season, where she was the Bison’s defensive and recruiting coordinator. She coached defender Ella Payer to second team All-Patriot League honors last season while Bucknell recorded victories over American, Colgate, and Lafayette.

Prior to joining Bucknell, Lewis was the head coach at Division III Whitman College for three seasons. Only the second head coach in program history, she coached two IWLCA All-Region selections in Olivia Engle and Sage Ali. Her players also earned 11 All-Northwest Conference recognitions.

At Whitman, Lewis was also responsible for conducting camps and clinics, fundraising, and building a recruiting database. For two of her three seasons, she was the only coach on the Blues' staff.

Prior to being named head coach at Whitman, Lewis was an assistant coach for three seasons at Division II University of District of Columbia where she served as the defensive and recruiting coordinator. Lewis also oversaw the team’s academic program progress and community service projects.

She began her collegiate coaching career in 2014 as an assistant coach at Division III Randolph-Macon College. Lewis served as the program’s defensive coordinator and goalkeeper coach. She was instrumental in the Yellow Jackets’ community service efforts, social media initiatives, and off-season fitness programming.

Lewis played collegiately at Old Dominion, where she was coached by former United States National Team head coach Sue Stahl. Following her graduation in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, she obtained her master's degree in sports administration from Delaware State. In 2013, she captained the inaugural varsity lacrosse team.

She graduated from North Penn High School where she was a two-sport athlete in lacrosse and swimming. Lewis played three years on defense and in goal for lacrosse, while winning two consecutive district titles in swimming.

Lewis also has experience coaching at the club level. Over the course of her career, she has worked for Ultimate Lacrosse Club (2008-12, 2015), Storm Lacrosse Club (2013-14), Elevate Lacrosse Club (2016-17), and the Tenacity Project (2019).

She is heavily involved in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), having served as an Outreach Committee Chair, a Northwest Conference Representative, and an All-Region Committee member. In addition, she is on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee and is a US Lacrosse Diversity and Inclusion Clinician.

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Amanda Monahan

Furman head women's lacrosse coach Kirkland Lewis has announced the addition of Amanda Monahan as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2024 season. She will work primarily with the goalkeepers while assisting on defense.

A native of Marblehead, Mass., Monahan recently concluded a four-year career at Davidson College where she appeared in 54 games as a goalkeeper. She finished her career fourth all-time with 452 saves and compiled 34 victories.

"I am extremely excited to continue my passion and love for the game of lacrosse with such a competitive program both athletically and academically," Monahan said. "Getting to work with the girls and Coach Kirkland Lewis is amazing and I am very grateful. Coach K has had great success over her coaching years, and I look forward to continuing to learn from her every day. I really look forward to all the success this team will have come springtime and being a part of the team growth as well as the program in general. Go 'Dins!"

As a senior, Monahan was a USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Honorable Mention All-American and ranked 42nd nationally in both saves and save percentage. She was named first team All-Atlantic 10 during her junior campaign after tying the school record for wins by a goalkeeper in a season with 12. Monahan started all 15 games as a sophomore and was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week three times. She made 15 saves in a 15-8 win over No. 16 Virginia Tech for the program's first win in school history over a ranked opponent.

"I am very excited to have Amanda join our program," said Lewis. "Her experience in building up a program, being a phenomenal student-athlete, and her passion for lacrosse are just some of the qualities that make her a great fit for Furman Lacrosse."

Monahan attended the Brooks School where she was an All-American in 2019 while also earning All-ISL honors twice.

She graduated from Davidson with a degree in communications.

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Richie Meade

Richie Meade, the 2017 Southern Conference Coach of the Year, is in his seventh season as the head coach of the Furman Paladins men's lacrosse program.

Meade was announced on May 26, 2013 as the school's first men's head lacrosse coach.

A veteran of nearly 40 years in collegiate coaching, Meade previously served as head coach for the United States Naval Academy men's team from 1994-2011, where he led the Midshipmen to a 142-97 record. In his 28-year career as a head coach, including four years at the University of Baltimore, Meade has compiled a 191-180 ledger.

Meade has also served as the head coach of the U.S. men’s national senior team, being named the program’s 12th head coach by US Lacrosse in December of 2012.

During Meade's head coaching tenure at Navy, his teams claimed five Patriot League regular season and tournament titles, appeared in seven NCAA tournaments, and racked up 39 All-America citations. In 2004, Navy advanced to the national championship game and Meade was honored with the Morris Touchstone Memorial Award as National Coach of the Year. He also was twice named Patriot League Coach of the Year (2004 & 2007).

Meade began his coaching career as an assistant at Duke University in 1977. Following a two-year stint in Durham, he moved on to the University of North Carolina, where he served as an assistant for one year before accepting his first head coaching job at the University of Baltimore (1980-83). In 1984 he was named defensive coordinator at Navy (1984-88) before returning to Chapel Hill (1989-90) for a two-year stint as offensive coordinator. He accepted the same post, as well as an instructor's role in physical education, at the United States Military Academy in 1991, remaining there for three seasons, before returning to Navy as head coach in 1994, becoming the seventh lacrosse mentor in school history.

In addition his coaching duties with the Midshipmen, he served as a tenured professor of physical education and is a Senior Fellow at the Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the Naval Academy.

He has served the sport in a variety of administrative positions, including the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Rules Advisory Committee, U.S. Lacrosse Men's Coaches Council and NCAA Rules and Equipment Committee. He has served president of the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) as well as executive director of the Wounded Warrior Project Lacrosse.

A native of Williston Park, N.Y., Meade attended and played lacrosse at Nassau (N.Y.) Community College. He then transferred to the University of North Carolina, from which he graduated with a B.A. in 1976 with a degree in parks and recreation administration. He later added an M.S. from UNC in 1979.

Meade is a member of both the New York Metropolitan Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame and University of Baltimore Athletic Hall of Fame.

He and his wife, Sue, have three daughters: Jillian, Shannon Grace and Cassidy.

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Andrew Athens

Andrew Athens is entering his seventh season as an assistant coach for Furman men’s lacrosse. Athens was named the program’s first assistant coach in 2013.

Athens has been responsible for the defense on Richie Meade’s squad, raising the Paladins’ win total from one in its inaugural year to four in 2015 and then to six in 2017.

In October of 2017, Athens was announced as the head coach of the Greece National Team, leading the sqaud in the 2018 World Championship.

Athens comes to Furman following a year at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., where he served as the Royals' assistant men's lacrosse coach/defensive coordinator. In his lone season there he helped lead Queens to a Conference Carolina playoff appearance and develop a pair of all-conference defensive performers. Queens ranked 13th nationally in defense in 2012.

He began his collegiate coaching career at Presbyterian (S.C.) College, serving as an undergraduate intern in 2011 for a Blue Hose program he represented as a player for three seasons and twice led in goals scored. The two-year captain finished his career as PC's all-time leader in points, goals, and assists.

He graduated from PC in May of 2011 with a degree in business administration.

Athens began his college experience at Anne Arundel (Md.) Community College, where he played one season for the Pioneers and earned all-region honors before graduating with an associate degree in art in 2007.

He served as assistant varsity men's lacrosse coach at Northern High School in Owings, Md., and head coach of the Southern Maryland All-Star High School Club Team.

In addition, Athens has served as a coach and counselor at the Southern Maryland Summer Lacrosse Camp, as well as lacrosse camps at Bucknell, Penn State, and with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

He is married to Kilee Ruppe of Spartanburg, S.C. and the couple has a son, Cruize.

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Patrick Emmer

Patrick Emmer is entering his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Furman men's lacrosse program.

His father, Jack, was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005, retiring from Army as the NCAA's all-time winningest coach with 326 career victories. He is one of only two coaches to have guided three teams (Cortland, Washington and Lee, Army) to the NCAA tournament, and he coached the 2002 U.S. Men's Team to the International Lacrosse Federation World Championship.

Emmer spent four years as a midfielder at Bryant University and was a member of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Northeast Conference Championship team, as well as participating in two NCAA Tournaments.

Before college, Emmer, a 2009 graduate of Skaneateles Central School, spent a postgraduate year at Avon Old Farms in Avon, Conn., where he graduated in 2010.

Prior to coming to Furman, Patrick Emmer was an assistant coach at La Salle Academy in Providence, R.I., where he helped guide the team to the 2015 Rhode Island State Championship. Emmer also spent time as a coach with Next Level Lacrosse and worked as a camp counselor with Cornell University, Young Guns Lacrosse, College of the Holy Cross, Princeton, the United States Military Academy, Michigan, United States Naval Academy, Penn State, and Hobart College.

Emmer is a 2015 graduate of Bryant University.