Iona College

Iona College Athletics
Hynes Center - 715 North Ave New Rochelle, NY 10801

Division 1 New York Northeast

Private Small National competitor

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Coaches

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Lauren Kahn

Lauren Kahn enters her sixth year at the head coach of the Gaels in 2024-2025 after being named Iona’s third ever head coach in 2019.

During Kahn’s time, the Gaels have broken more than 15 program records, in her fifth year with the Gaels they set new program records for total wins and MAAC wins. Named the MAAC Co-Midfield Player of the Year in 2023 and in 2024 the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2022. A total of 88 student athletes have been named to the MAAC All-Academic team.

The 2023 season was marked by the program’s first-ever win over Canisius on Senior Day with a score of 19-14. It was followed up later that season with a program-breaking number of goals in a 24-17 win over Marist to wrap up the end of the regular season. Kahn’s team posted another record-tying number of wins with 9 and the most MAAC wins yet under her leadership.

Kahn’s 2023 squad boasted the Co-Midfielder of the Year and First-Team All-MAAC, sophomore Kira Varada ’26 who led the team and the MAAC in caused turnovers per game and draw controls per game. Varada also led the team in goals and ground balls and was ranked in the Top-10 in the nation for caused turnovers and groundballs per game. Second-Team All-MAAC junior Micaela FitzPatrick ’24 led the team and the MAAC in total points, points per game, total assists, and assists-per game. FitzPatrick joined Varada in the national Top-20 rankings for assists per game. Kahn’s team also named senior Emily Stewart ’23 to the All-MAAC Second Team and three freshmen to the All-MAAC Rookie Team.

The historic 2023 season comes right off of an equally impressive 2022 campaign where Kahn led to her team to 13 program record including total wins and a seven-game win streak. The Gaels set team records in total goals, total points, and draw controls. Kira Varada ’24 broke the record for draw controls in a season with 79. Three Gaels were nominated to the All-MAAC team: Varada ’24 and Carly Young ’22 were both named to the second team and Varada ’24 and Carly Linthicum ’24 were both named to the All-Rookie Team.

Both of Kahn’s first two years in New Rochelle were impacted by the global Covid-19 pandemic – cutting her first season short in 2020 and restricting the 2021 season to limited competition. In 2021, Kahn’s team earned a spot in the MAAC conference tournament for the first time in three years and the first time under her leadership.

Prior to Iona, Kahn was a tenured assistant at Columbia University running the team’s defense and transition game. While in place with the Lions, Kahn helped the team earn a spot in the Ivy League Championship for the first time in program history. That same year, Kahn coached Lindsey Ewerston to break two program records in draws: single-season total of 78 and single-game of 15.

As a player, Kahn competed with both the United Women’s Lacrosse League as a member of the Boston Storm and the WPLL with the Philadelphia Fire. In the summer of 2021, Kahn was a coach with the inaugural season of women’s lacrosse in the Athletes Unlimited league.

A graduate of the University of Connecticut in 2014, Kahn was a two-time Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-America and All-Big East First Team honoree. She was voted the Big East Midfielder of the Year in 2012. Kahn carried UConn's offense in 2012 and 2013, leading the Huskies in points in back-to-back seasons.

She was named to the 2014 Tewaaraton Award preseason watch list. The award is given annually to the most outstanding American college lacrosse men's and women's lacrosse players. The Nanuet, New York native finished her collegiate career at UConn ranked No. 2 all-time in points (216), No. 3 in assists (73) and No. 4 in goals (143).

Kahn is a member of Nanuet High School Hall of Fame, inducted in the fall of 2021.

A 2022 graduate of LaPenta School of Business, Kahn holds an MBA from Iona University. She also holds a BA in Communications with a Minor in English from the University of Connecticut. Kahn is certified as a personal trainer with ACE.

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Rocco Rubeo

Rubeo enters his third season as the Assistant Coach of the Gaels in the 2023-2024 year. As the defensive coordinator and camps and clinic director, Rubeo has proved himself an integral part of Kahn’s coaching staff in his first two years.

During Rubeo’s tenure, the Gaels have broken 15 program records, tied the program record for wins twice, and named the MAAC Co-Midfield Player of the Year in 2023 and the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2022. Three players have ended the season ranked Top-20 nationally in various offensive stats.

The 2023 season was marked by the program’s first-ever win over Canisius on Senior Day with a score of 19-14. It was followed up later that season with a program-breaking number of goals in a 24-17 win over Marist to wrap up the end of the regular season. The Gaels posted another record-tying number of wins with 9 and the most MAAC wins yet under her leadership.

Kahn, Rubeo and Dowey’s 2023 squad boasted the Co-Midfielder of the Year and First-Team All-MAAC, sophomore Kira Varada ’26 who led the team and the MAAC in caused turnovers per game and draw controls per game. Varada also led the team in goals and ground balls and was ranked in the Top-10 in the nation for caused turnovers and groundballs per game. Second-Team All-MAAC junior Micaela FitzPatrick ’24 led the team and the MAAC in total points, points per game, total assists, and assists-per game. FitzPatrick joined Varada in the national Top-20 rankings for assists per game. Senior Emily Stewart ’23 was named to the All-MAAC Second Team and three freshmen to the All-MAAC Rookie Team.

The historic 2023 season comes right off of an equally impressive 2022 campaign where Kahn, Rubeo and the team led to the team to 13 program record including total wins and a seven-game win streak. The Gaels set team records in total goals, total points, and draw controls. Kira Varada ’24 broke the record for draw controls in a season with 79. Three Gaels were nominated to the All-MAAC team: Varada ’24 and Carly Young ’22 were both named to the second team and Varada ’24 and Carly Linthicum ’24 were both named to the All-Rookie Team.

Prior to coming to New Rochelle, Rubeo was heavily involved in the club world, where coaching his daughter brought him over to women’s game in a coaching capacity. Rubeo has been a life-long coach, with his experience starting officially in California in 2008 where he started both the boys and girls programs at Dana Hills High School. While there, he led as a Co-Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the boys team. In only their second year as a program, the boys’ team was ranked in the Top 10 in Southern CIF and made a run to the semifinals of the CIF Championship Tournament.

Rubeo was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps in 2004. He retired at the rank of Major in 2019. While in the service, Rubeo was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Artic Circle. Throughout his career, he was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Arctic Circle Service Ribbon, and the Drill-Instructor Ribbon. During his time in the Marine Corps, Rubeo helped rejuvenate the Marine Corps lacrosse teams in North Carolina and California.

A 2004 graduate of the University of Vermont, Rubeo holds a Bachelors in Economics. Additionally, during his military career, he earned a Masters of International Relations from the University of Oklahoma, a Masters of Leadership from Marshall University and diplomas from the Expeditionary Warfare School and Command and Staff College. He graduated from Iona’s LaPenta School of Business in 2020 with an MBA.