Bryant University

Smithfield, RI 02917

Rhode Island Northeast

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Eileen Ferry

Bryant University Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Bill Smith announced Eileen Ferry as the next head coach of the Bryant Women's Lacrosse program on Thursday (July 27).

Ferry will be the sixth head coach in program history and takes over for Brianna Roche who spent the last five years as Bryant's head coach.

"It is with great excitement that we welcome Eileen to the Bulldog family as our next women's lacrosse head coach," Smith said. "Coach Ferry's success as both a Division I head coach and assistant, including a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances while at Monmouth, speaks for itself. The future of Bryant Women's Lacrosse is in great hands."

Ferry comes to Smithfield after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Brown. A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Ferry brings 12 years of coaching experience to Bryant, including three as a collegiate head coach. Ferry has also coached on the international stage, serving as the head coach of the Ireland U19 team and most recently as the head coach of the U20 team at the 2023 Euro's.

She served as the head coach at Ursuline College in 2019, an assistant coach at Robert Morris in 2018 and the previous six years, including two as head coach, at Monmouth University.

At Monmouth, Ferry helped the Hawks reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2012 and 2013 before being named the fifth head coach in Monmouth history in August of 2015. She led the Hawks to a 12-9 record and a spot in the MAAC Championship game her first season, finishing with an 18-18 overall record in two seasons.

"I am thrilled to be the next head coach at Bryant," Ferry said. "I want to thank Bill Smith, Jason Sullivan and the entire search committee for trusting me to lead their program. The winning tradition, top tier facilities and the department's focus on providing the very best for its student-athletes is second to none. Bryant's rich tradition is a direct result of the tremendous players and coaches who have come through this program. We are committed to making them proud."

As the head coach at Monmouth, Ferry had seven players earn all-conference honors and 22 named to the conference's academic honor roll. In her time as an assistant, Ferry helped the Hawks to four conference tournaments, two NCAA Tournament appearances, two conference tournament titles and a regular season championship. Ferry was in charge of the defense as an assistant, coaching Gianna D'Urso to NEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2013. She also had four players earn first team all-conference honors and three earn spots on the All-Tournament team.

Ferry graduated from Rutgers in 2011, serving as a player-assistant coach as a junior and senior. She had her playing career at Rutgers cut short due to a number of knee injuries she suffered as a freshman and sophomore. Ferry was put in charge of the goalkeepers as a senior and RU's goalies finished second in the Big East in goals against average and third in the league in save percentage.

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Merredith Kraisser

Before Bryant, Kraisser was with Ferry at Brown University as a volunteer assistant coach. She also has experience coaching at the club level, serving as a coach for Bogue Elite in Emerald Isle, NC.

During her time as a player, Kraisser was a three year starter in goal at Campbell University. The 2017 graduate played in 60 games for the Camels, making 52 starts over her career. Kraisser recorded a season and career high 20 saves against San Diego State (3/6/15), which was the second-most of any Big South goalie for a single game. A New Jersey native, Kraisser was named to the First Team Big South in 2017 to finish out her career.

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Brad Ross

Brad Ross recently completed his first season as the head coach of the Bryant University men's lacrosse program.

Ross takes over as the third head coach in program history following Mike Pressler's retirement last week. An associate head coach at Bryant for four years (2011-2014), Ross returns to the Black and Gold after spending the last three years at Navy.

Ross had a triumphant return to the Bryant sideline in 2023, earning NEILA Coach of the Year honors after leading the Bulldogs to a 12-5 record, an America East Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Ross' return also saw Bryant emerge as one of the top offensive units in the country. Bryant set single-season records for goals and goals per game, finishing 13th nationally with over 14 goals per game. The Bulldogs featured five players with 40+ points, including the program's first-ever 30-30 player in Kevin Groeninger and Aidan Goltz's single-season record 45 goals. Bryant also featured two of the nations' top freshmen in America East Rookie of the Year Johnny Hackett and Jack Lonsinger.

Coach Ross was a three-time All-American at Duke University, graduating with 73 career wins, an NCAA record at the time, and playing in four NCAA Final Fours. On the sidelines, Ross has emerged as one of the premier recruiters and one of the top offensive minds in lacrosse. In his role as an assistant coach at Navy, the Mids produced four top-20 recruiting classes in the four years he was on staff. As the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Ohio State, the Buckeyes' 2017 and 2019 recruiting classes were ranked No. 4 nationally. Those two classes included nine "top 100" players according to Inside Lacrosse.

Coach Ross' time at Bryant was one of the most successful four-year runs in program history. The Black and Gold won three Northeast Conference Championships and advanced to two NCAA Tournaments. That run included the 2014 season that produced one of the best teams in program history. Bryant went 16-5, won the NEC Tournament title and defeated Syracuse in the Carrier Dome to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Ross was part of a staff that developed eight players into eventual Major League Lacrosse draft picks, while also coaching 13 all-conference athletes and two All-Americans. Bryant won 46 games during Ross' tenure and ranked as high as No. 11 nationally.

Ross left Bryant following the 2014 season and spent the next five years at Ohio State. He was the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator and was promoted to associate head coach in 2016.

During his time at Ohio State, Ross was named the 2017 IMLCA Assistant Coach of the Year and helped the Buckeyes reach the program's first Final Four and NCAA National Championship Game. The Buckeyes produced seven top-5 wins, six top-10 wins and eight top-20 wins. Ross coached six All-B1G offensive selections, including Jesse King (2015) who recorded the most points by an OSU player since 1979.

In 2017, Ohio State averaged 11.33 goals per game and scored 12 or more goals on 11 occasions. The Buckeyes also had an offense that generated nearly 34 shots per game and converted 49.2 percent of its man-up chances.

With Ross leading the offense in 2018, the Buckeyes finished the regular season ranked 29th nationally in scoring offense and 21st in shooting percentage. The Buckeyes scored 10 or more goals in nine of 12 games and three players had 30 or more points on the season.

In 2019, the Buckeyes averaged 11.75 goals per game and stood 29th nationally, while their 30.5 shooting percentage was 19th best in the country. Anchoring the offense was Tre Leclaire who was ninth nationally in goals per game (3.09), while Jack Myers was 29th in assists per game (1.82).

In 2015, Ross' first year at Ohio State, the Buckeyes reached the NCAA Quarterfinals after a win over two-time defending NCAA Champion Duke in the opening round. The Buckeyes averaged 10.0 goals a game on the year and scored nine or more goals in eight of the last nine games. Senior Jesse King had 77 points, the most for a Buckeye since 1979, en route to earning Third-Team All-America honors, while King and Carter Brown were both named First-Team All-Big Ten. The Buckeyes scored 9.4 goals a game in 2016, tallying double digits in six games, including three of the last four.

While at Navy, Ross helped the Mids rank as high as No. 20 in the nation in 2021 and produce some of the top offensive numbers in Navy history.

In his first season, the Mids finished No. 40 in the nation and No. 4 in the Patriot League in scoring offense, averaging 11.80 goals per game. It marked the first time since 2007 (11.00) that a Navy team would close out the year averaging double digits. The Mids' 20.00 points per game stood 28th nationally and marked the best average since 1978 when Navy averaged 23.07 points per game. Navy's 8.20 assists per game stood 20th nationally and was the best average since 1978 when it averaged 8.77 per contest.

Once again, the Mids' extra-man offense was among the best in the country in 2021. Navy was ranked 10th, scoring on 13 of its 30 opportunities for a 43.3 conversion rate. As a team, the Mids shot 30.4 percent, targeting 97 goals on 319 shots. It's the first time Navy has finished inside of the top 20 in shooting percentage since 2012 when the Mids finished 13th with their 31.1 shooting efficiency (109G, 351 Sh). Though their goal production was roughly one goal less than in the shortened 2020 campaign, the Mids finished the 2021 season 35th in scoring offense - their best finish since 2016 (33rd, 9.88GPG).

Ross started his coaching career at Brown University in 2010, helping the Bears win a share of the Ivy League Championship.

Ross was a two-time captain (2008, '09) and three-year starter at midfield for Duke. During his five-year career with Duke, he was a part of three ACC titles (2007, '08, '09) and the squad reached the NCAA Semifinals four times, including a berth in the National Championship game twice. Ross produced 102 points for the Blue Devils (76g, 26a) and was a three-time All-American.

Ross played professionally for four years before retiring because of medical issues prior to the 2013 season. He was a member of two Major League Lacrosse championship teams, winning the title with Toronto in 2009 in his first year as a pro and with Boston in 2011. Ross, who saw action in 40 regular-season MLL games in his career, scoring 46 goals and 70 points, was selected for the 2011 MLL All-Star Game. He was a second-round choice of Toronto in the 2009 MLL Draft.

A two-time USILA Scholar All-American, Senior CLASS Award first-team honoree and ACC All-Academic Team selection, Ross graduated from Duke with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 2008. Using his final year of eligibility to work toward a graduate degree, he earned a master's degree in humanities with a concentration in ethics from his alma mater in 2009.

Ross and his wife, Nicole, have two daughters, Bodie and Dempsey, and a son, Cade.

Bryant University is a top national leader for return on higher education investment (ROI), according to the newly released Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) scorecard. Bryant ranks in the top 1% (No. 46) nationally of the 4,500 schools included in the study and among the top 5% (No. 10) of colleges and universities in New England. "The new national ranking represents Bryant's steep ascent from No. 76 in 2019 to No. 46 in 2022, a jump of 30 positions. Bryant is No.1 on the list of Rhode Island schools. Bryant also features some of the top athletic facilities in college lacrosse with the David '85 and Terry Beirne Stadium Complex, the Bulldog Strength and Conditioning Center, and the Conaty Indoor Athletic Center.

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Travis Harrington

Travis Harrington enters his seventh season as an assistant coach and the offensive coordinator for the Bryant men's lacrosse team in 2023-24.

Harrington oversaw one of the best offensive seasons in program history in 2023, helping the Black and Gold win the America East Championship. The Bulldogs set program records for goals (241) and goals per game (14.18), while featuring five players with 40+ points. Harrington helped transition Kevin Groeninger (38g-30a-68p) and Aidan Goltz (45g) to attack and career years. Groeninger became the first 30-30 player in DI program history, while Goltz broke the single-season record for goals. Harrington also oversaw the emergence of two of the nation's highest-scoring freshmen in Jack Lonsinger and Johnny Hackett. Hackett was named the America East Rookie of the Year as he finished with the most points by a rookie in DI program history.

Harrington's offense was guided by Marc O'Rourke, Logan McGovern and Bennett Abladian in 2022. The trio combined for 162 points and 104 goals during the year, with O'Rourke putting the finishing touches on one of the greatest offensive careers in program history. He scored 43 goals (2nd most in a single season in DI program history) and became the DI program leader with 155 career goals. McGovern, meanwhile, set the DI single-season program record with 35 assists. In addition to O'Rourke, midfielders Aidan Goltz (first team) and Timmy Hackett (2nd team) thrived in Harrington's offense and earned All-NEC honors.

Bryant's offense took another big step forward in 2021 under Harrington, helping the Black and Gold win their sixth Northeast Conference title and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs finished 12th nationally in scoring and featured three players with 25+ points. That group was led by Logan McGovern and his career-high 46 points. Harrington also helped Bennett Abladian crash onto the scene and earn NEC Rookie of the Year honors with a team-leading 29 goals. Another freshman, Mason Drouin, finished the season ranked 11th nationally with six man-up goals. In all, Harrington coached five All-NEC selections and two All-New England selections in 2021.

The Bulldogs' attack was firing on all cylinders when the 2020 season ended abruptly due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Bryant scored 15 or more goals in three straight games to close the year, marking the first time the Black & Gold had achieved the feat in any three-game stretch at the Division I level. Attackman Marc O'Rourke ranked fourth nationally in goals when the 2020 campaign abruptly ended, while Logan McGovern finished in the year in the top five among freshmen in assists and points.

Bryant improved by 1.28 goals per game in Harrington's first year on the staff in 2018, as the Bulldogs scored 11.33 goals per game to rank 21st in the nation. Freshman attackman Marc O'Rourke was named NEC Rookie of the Year, ranking sixth nationally among freshmen in goals (33) and seventh in points (48).

Following the 2018 season, Harrington was selected to serve as an assistant coach for the USILA/Nike North-South Senior All-Star Game.

A 2012 Bryant grad, Harrington comes back to Smithfield after spending 2016-17 as the first assistant at the University of Hartford. He served as the offensive, recruiting and EMO coordinator with the Hawks. In addition, he was the positional coach for the attack, midfield, and face-off unit.

Under his tutelage, the Hawks finished third nationally in extra-man offense (.519 percent), 20th nationally in face-offs and 22nd nationally in offense (11.07 GPG). Harrington coached two All-America East selections at Hartford.

Prior to his stint at Hartford, Harrington spent two seasons as the first assistant coach and offensive and EMO coordinator at Northeast Conference rival Robert Morris. In 2016, he oversaw a Colonial offense that finished 18th nationally with 11.33 goals per game and featured the nation's second-leading scorer in terms of goals per game. In his two years at RMU, Harrington coached eight All-NEC selections, three USILA North-South All-Stars and helped the Colonials reach the 2016 NEC Tournament.

Harrington also spent two seasons at Seton Hill, serving as an assistant coach and the offensive, EMO and recruiting coordinator. During his two seasons, Seton Hill produced five All-Americans, seven All-ECAC honors, an NCAA Division II Midfielder of the Year, an ECAC II Goalkeeper of the Year and an ECAC II Rookie of the Year. He also helped guide the Griffins to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013, advancing to the quarterfinals.

Seton Hill finished as the top-ranked offense in the nation in 2013, averaging 15.56 goals per game under Harrington's watch. The Griffins were 13th-nationally in goals per game (12.25) and fifth nationally in extra-man offense in 2014.

Harrington was a standout attackman for the Bulldogs from 2009-12. During his four-year career, he compiled 104 points, including 67 goals. Upon graduation, Harrington ranked ninth all-time at Bryant in goals scored and 10th in total points. He was selected to participate in the USILA/LaxWorld North-South game after his senior year. Harrington was also an NEC Academic Honor Roll selection in each of his four years at Bryant.