Coaches

Brenna Gallagher Roan

Brenna Gallagher Roan ('16) enters her sixth year as the IUP head women's lacrosse coach for the 2024 season. She was named the program's seventh head coach on July 30, 2018.


Gallagher Roan has a 54-36 overall record in her first five years at her alma mater.


IUP had a program-record four IWLCA all-region honorees in 2023: Sarah Reustle, Kathryn Burke, Maggie Marsteller and Sami Shutt asd second team selections. Going 12-6 overall and 10-2 in conference play, IUP landed six student-athletes on the all-conference list for 2023.


The only two conference losses came to eventual PSAC West champion Seton Hill. The 12-6 Crimson Hawks matched their record from 2022 and advanced to the PSAC Tournament for the fourth consecutive playing season.


IUP ranked eighth in NCAA DII in scoring defense (8.33) and seventh overall in draw control percentage (.590). Overall, IUP outscored its opponents by a 238-150 margin for the season.


The Crimson Hawks went 12-6 in her fourth season, including two overtime thriller victories over nationally ranked (#18) Seton Hill 15-14 and Lock Haven 13-12.


Gallagher Roan wrapped up the 2022 season with a 12-6 record. This is the best program record since 2016. A highlight of the season was the Crimson Hawks six-game winning streak in which they outscored opponents 93-50. The Crimson Hawks earned PSAC Tournament birth and ultimately finished fourth in the conference. Gallagher Roan had seven Crimson Hawks earn All-PSAC honors which was the most of any PSAC Women's Lacrosse Team in 2022. Three Crimson Hawks were also selected to the All-Atlantic Region team. Gallagher Roan was voted as PSAC West Coach of the Year, just the second time in program history that has happened (Mindy Richmond '13).


Gallagher Roan completed the 2021 season compiling a 6-6 record. Gallagher Roan had six players earn All-PSAC selections and three players earn All-Atlantic Region selections. The Crimson Hawks garnered a PSAC Tournament birth.


Gallagher wrapped up her first year as head coach with a 10-7 overall record and a 8-4 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Crimson Hawks earned the fourth seed in the PSAC tournament before falling to Seton Hill in the quarterfinals to finish the season. Gallagher became the first coach in program history to make the postseason in their first year.


In 2019, Gallagher saw senior Ally Burrows earn a third team All-American honor, All-Atlantic Region and All-PSAC selections. Burrows led the Crimson Hawks in scoring, as her team-best 57 goals is tied for the third highest single season mark in program history. One of the best goal scorers in PSAC history, Burrows finished her career with an IUP record 219 goals, a mark that also stands fifth in conference history. Burrows' 266 career points is third most behind former All-Americans Alexa Lodovici (292) and Amy Weinberg(281).


Seniors Mollie Gallagher and Katie Martyn also earned All-Region and All-PSAC honors, along with participating in the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game with Burrows.


Gallagher returned to her alma mater after spending the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Misericordia women’s lacrosse program, including serving as head coach in 2018. She led the Cougars to the team’s fourth straight Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship game appearance and a 12-9 overall record.


Misericordia boasted a 6-1 MAC Freedom record under Gallagher, finishing second in the division behind 7-0 FDU-Florham. The Cougars outscored division opponents 125-46, scoring at least 19 goals five times. They led the division in scoring with 320 goals (15.2/game) and finished second with a scoring margin of +5.5. Misericordia displayed balanced scoring under Gallagher, with nine players scoring at least 20 goals and five totaling 40 or more points. Sophomore Kaila Quinlivan led the team with 54 goals and tied a program record with 85 points.


Five of the Cougars' nine losses came by two goals or less, including an 11-9 decision to FDU-Florham on the road in the MAC Championship. Gallagher and Misericordia secured the program's fourth straight trip to the ECAC Championships, falling to Marywood in the semifinal round.


Gallagher helped five players earn all-conference honors in 2018, including four first team selections. She also saw two underclassmen – Brianna Ladner and Quinlivan – named to all-region squads.


Gallagher was named the head coach at Misericordia in May 2017 after one year as the team’s graduate assistant coach, handling many of the day-to-day operations under interim head coach MaryKate Stauffer. The Cougars set a school record for wins in 2017 with a 14-5 record and advanced to the ECAC title game.


She went into coaching in 2016 after a standout collegiate career with the Crimson Hawks. A second team All-American selection as a senior, Gallagher led IUP with 53 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers and finished second with 63 draw controls. The ground ball and caused turnover totals are both top five marks in single season program history.


Gallagher finished her career as the program’s all-time leader with 161 ground balls and 73 games played, starting 71 times. She’s also currently second in the IUP record books with 91 caused turnovers and ninth with 100 draw controls for her career.


She started 15 of 17 games as a true freshman in 2012, finishing second on the team with 22 caused turnovers. Gallagher combined for 40 caused turnovers her next two seasons, before playing just three games in 2015 after suffering a season-ending injury. She was awarded a medical redshirt and returned for her All-American 2016 season.


Gallagher and the Crimson Hawks had a combined 60-28 record from 2012-16, advancing to the semifinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament three times under head coach Mindy Richmond. Gallagher now replaces Richmond, who went 105-67 in 10 years at IUP, after she left to take over the program at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.


Gallagher earned bachelor's degrees in child development and family relations, and sociology and human services from IUP. Gallagher Roan has earned her master's degree in employment and labor relations from IUP.


Gallagher Roan is married to Dan Roan and they reside in Indiana, PA. The two have a daughter, Carsyn Everleigh Roan, born in April 2023.


Gallagher Roan grew up in Cranberry, PA as the daughter of Steve and Susie Gallagher. She attended Seneca Valley High School.