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University of Akron

University of Akron Dept of I/C Athletics
 James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH 44325
Division 1 Ohio Midwest
Public Large National competitor
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Coaches

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Elaine Jones

Elaine Jones is in her first season as Akron's head women’s lacrosse coach after being named to the position in June of 2023.


Jones’ hiring is pending approval by the University's Board of Trustees.


Jones will usher in the fifth season of Akron Zips lacrosse during her inaugural campaign on the sidelines in 2024.


Jones came to Akron with 22 seasons of head coaching experience at the NCAA I and II levels. She spent the 2023 campaign at the University of Indianapolis, where the Greyhounds, posted an 18-3 record en route to advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championships, while capturing the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular and postseason titles.


A trio of her athletes garnered All-America status this past season, while a pair of Greyhounds were recognized with Academic All-America accolades.


Jones came to UIndy after leading Longwood for 10 seasons, earning Big South Coach of the Year honors in 2019. Jones mentored a pair of Big South Scholar-Athletes of the Year (2015, 2021), one Big South Co-Defensive Player of the Year (2016) and 23 Big South All-Conference players.


During her tenure, Longwood earned the IWLCA Team Academic Honor Squad recognition eight times, while also placing multiple student-athletes on the IWLCA Honor Roll.


Prior to Longwood, Jones became the winningest head coach at the University of California, Davis, where the Aggies earned 97 victories in 11 seasons. After leading the UC Davis to multiple top-four rankings at the NCAA Division II level en route to garnering Warrior/Inside Lacrosse Coach of the Year distinction, Jones successfully transitioned the program to DI. UC Davis was named LaxPower's most improved DI program in the United States following the 2010 campaign.


Jones’ student-athletes collected multiple awards on and off the field, including: DII Woman of the Year honoree, two UC Davis Hall of Fame inductees, DII Rookie of the Year, two-time DII Academic All-America, eight DII All-Americans, 15 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) all-league players, and 38 MPSF Academic student-athletes.


Jones also worked at the University of Southern California from 1998-2001, where she helped coordinate and implement all monitoring systems of the athletics compliance office. During her time at USC, she coached seven Western Women's Lacrosse League All-Star selections as the head club lacrosse coach.


While obtaining her master’s degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst from 1993-95, Jones was an assistant coach for the women's lacrosse program. Jones later earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami.


A two-time All-America honoree, Jones earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia in 1992. She was a member of the USA Elite Team in 1992 and 1993. Jones was inducted into the Greater Baltimore U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2015, as well as becoming the first female athlete welcomed as part of the inaugural class for Friends School of Baltimore's Athletics Hall of Fame.

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Carlie Grandjean

Carlie Grandjean is in her first season as an assistant coach with the Akron Lacrosse program after being named to Elaine Jones’ staff in April 2024.


Grandjean comes to Akron after working with the John Carroll lacrosse staff for two seasons, as a graduate assistant coach.


During her tenure with John Carroll, the Blue Streaks made back-to-back trips to the OAC Tournament. In 2021, John Carroll won the program’s first OAC Championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament in the squad’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.


A four-year letterwinner at Denison University, including being named team captain as a senior, Grandjean helped the Big Red capture North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament titles en route to advancing to the NCAA Tournament during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 campaigns.


Grandjean earned her bachelor’s degree in in education with a minor in psychology before completing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from John Carroll in 2022. She is a graduate of North Canton Hoover High School.

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Sarah Hanley-Morse

I’m immensely proud and excited to announce I have accepted a position as an Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach at the University of Akron. I wanted to thank Elaine Jones, Carlie Grandjean, LPC, and The University of Akron for extending this incredible job offer to me.


I look forward to applying my interpersonal skills, passion for the game, student-athlete excellence, and love for mentorship in my coaching and recruiting efforts.


I will assist the recently added D1 program in various areas, with goals of achieving the program's first ever MAC championship title. As well as continue building a unique program that prepares and teaches student-athletes to be confident leaders on and off the field.


I’m very honored, energized, and humbled by the opportunity to be a part of this program's next chapter with a great and collaborative coaching staff. I cannot wait to get started, make my impact as a coach, make school history, break program records, and get to work with the team this fall and upcoming season! GO ZIPS!??

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