University of South Florida

University of South Florida Athletics
4202 E. Fowler Ave., ATH 100 Tampa, FL 33620

Division 1 Florida Southeast

Public Very Large National competitor

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Mindy McCord

• Eight-Time Conference Coach of the Year

• Teams have earned a combined 21 regular season & conference tournament titles

• Has accumulated 326 total wins in lacrosse and field hockey

• Her teams have earned conference championships in 13 seasons and posted two runner-up finishes during her career.

• Led Jacksonville to eight NCAA appearances, two Sweet 16’s

• Recruited and developed 13 All-Americans & 26 All-Region selections

• String of 11 straight completed seasons with a conference championship

• Jacksonville teams led the nation in scoring seven times, including in 2022

• Teams set the NCAA record for scoring offense twice (2012 and 2018)

• JU teams posted 3.76 and 3.70 GPA in 2021 and 2022, leading all Dolphin teams

• Guided 13 ASUN Player of the Year selections (5 players of the year, six defensive players of the year, four freshmen of the year, and one midfielder of the year)

• Coached 81 ASUN All-Conference picks (41 first team), one ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Ali Hoffman, 2013 & 2014)

• JU teams earned 31 ASUN All-Academic Team selections, 35 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll selections and eight IWLCA Academic Honor Squad recognitions, including Merit Squad in 2013

• Lynchburg College Hall of Fame – four-year starter, captain, all-conference

2022, Mindy McCord has been honored eight times as a conference coach of the year and has established herself as a passionate advocate of lacrosse nationally while previously launching collegiate lacrosse programs at Virginia Tech and Jacksonville. She has 34 years invested in coaching at the collegiate and high school level.

A highly-accomplished program leader, McCord has posted a a 240-118 (.670) career record in 21 seasons as a lacrosse head coach, ranking among the top 20 active coaches in the nation. She came to USF after building a Jacksonville University program from the ground up and leading it to national prominence, posting a 170-62 (.733) record over the first 13 years of the program’s existence while also helping to fundraise and design a lacrosse facility that ranks among the nation’s best.

“I’m proud of the culture that we built,” McCord said of her time at JU. “I’m proud of the relationships that we've established. I’m proud of the success that we had. It’s been a mission of building great positive relationships, where young women can live their dreams and pursue whatever academic career that they want. And to work to be a top 20 program and compete at the NCAA level was truly icing on the cake.”

As a women’s lacrosse and field hockey head coach, McCord has accumulated 326 total wins in two sports at all levels. Her teams have earned conference championships in 13 seasons and twice earned runner-up finishes in lacrosse during her career and she has recruited and developed 13 All-Americans and 26 all-region selections. McCord’s teams have earned a combined 21 conference regular season and tournament titles (eight each in the ASUN), 11 straight completed seasons with a conference championship (since 2011), and eight NCAA Lacrosse Tournament appearances reaching the Sweet 16 twice.

"We are absolutely thrilled to name a leader of Mindy McCord's proven capabilities and passion for the sport as the first head coach in USF women's lacrosse history," Kelly said. "Not only does she have tremendous experience building a program from the ground up and leading it to multiple conference titles and national prominence, but also has done it in the state of Florida.”

McCord came to USF after a 2022 season in which she led the Jacksonville to its fourth straight ASUN regular-season title (eighth overall), the program’s eighth ASUN Tournament title and led the nation in scoring for seventh time averaging 17.21 goals per game. Under her direction, the Dolphins have compiled 18 NCAA statistical championships and one individual statistical title (Rachel Hannon, Draw Control – 2012), and have set the standard for offensive success, leading the nation in scoring on seven occasions and setting the NCAA record for scoring offense twice (2012 and 2018).

"Student-athletes and fans gravitate to her up-tempo, high-scoring style of play that has seen many of her teams rank among the highest-scoring in the nation,” Kelly said. “She combines with that the vision and drive to build a highly-successful program, a passionate investment in the welfare of student-athletes, and a strong desire and skill set to connect with her community that we feel is the perfect combination to launch our program."

McCord’s student-athletes also excel off the field. Her women’s lacrosse program was the most academically successful program at JU in 2021 and 2022, posting team grade-point averages of 3.76 and 3.70, respectively. Women’s lacrosse student-athletes earned 2022 Jacksonville University graduation awards for the No. 1 student in nursing, the No. 1 student in the Davis College of Business, and the No. 1 graduate student. In 2014, the program finished with the third-highest team GPA in NCAA Division I lacrosse and has been awarded both JU’s community service and school spirit awards multiple times while developing a team culture known for its infectious spirit and commitment to service.

"I want to thank Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly and Deputy Athletics Director Kris Pierce for inviting me to interview and offering me the opportunity to be the first USF Division I lacrosse coach ever,” McCord said. “I am honored to serve #TeamUSF. It’s a very special day for me and my family. For 20 years, I have been coaching and helping grow the sport of lacrosse in the state of Florida. It’s been a fun, faith-filled, family journey that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Now, with the positive culture infused by Mr. Kelly and his staff at USF, we get to go all out and reach for the highest of heights with Tampa’s first D1 lacrosse team!

“I am incredibly humbled to take the reins at USF. Trust me, it had to be the most perfect of opportunities to cause me to leave such a strong labor of love that JU was in my life. I will forever treasure my relationships at JU and will always remember the incredible success we

built from 2010 through last season. I am grateful to so many friends and supporters at JU who supported our program’s journey there."

McCord continued the JU program’s success in 2022 as the Dolphins posted a 14-5 record (5-0, ASUN), won both conference regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second straight year with a 20-8 defeat of Stanford. The Dolphins led the nation in shots with 704 and finished first in scoring offense, third in points per game, and second in scoring margin. The Dolphins garnered two USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable Mentions (Molly Brock and Sarah Elms), two IWLCA All-Region selections (Brock and Elms), the ASUN Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year (Paige Pagano), the ASUN Midfielder of the Year (Molly Brock), six ASUN All-Conference First Team honorees, ASUN tournament MVP (Pagano), three ASUN All-Freshman team selections and five ASUN All-Academic Team selections.

During her career, McCord has guided 13 ASUN Player of the Year selections (5 players of the year, six defensive players of the year, four freshmen of the year, and one midfielder of the year), 81 ASUN All-Conference picks (41 first team), one ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Ali Hoffman, 2013 & 2014), 31 ASUN All-Academic Team selections and 35 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll selections. Her teams have earned eight IWLCA Academic Honor Squad recognitions, including Merit Squad in 2013.

“If the positive attitude at USF isn’t enough, Tampa Bay is full of winning attitudes with world champions seemingly around every corner,” McCord said of her move to the Bay area. “This is an opportunity that will allow our program to go all the way. Nowhere else is there this much support for student-athletes and their quality of life! The university is growing rapidly too. There’s a reason for all this growth. There’s every reason for top prospects to come to Tampa Bay and join this program. Everything is in place for USF to become one of the greatest programs in the country. The plan we have for a state-of-the-art stadium and facility is unparalleled. The commitment to success is the same.”

A 1993 graduate of Lynchburg College, earning a psychology degree and cum laude honors, McCord earned a master’s in counselor education from Virginia Tech in 1995. In 2015, she was inducted into the Lynchburg College Hall of Fame where she was a team captain and four-year lacrosse starter, earning rookie of the year, all-conference, regional All-American, and North/South Senior All-Star Game honors and went on to play in Australia while studying abroad.

McCord’s coaching career began while studying for her master’s degree at Virginia Tech, where she coached the women’s lacrosse club team for two years, helping them to earn Division I status in the ACC.

Her NCAA coaching career began as a 23-year-old head coach at prestigious Oberlin College in Ohio. As one of the NCAA’s youngest head coaches, she won consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference lacrosse titles in 1997 and 1998, including an undefeated conference record (11-0) in 1997 that led to NCAC Coach of the Year honors.

She moved to McDaniel College, formerly Western Maryland, as head field hockey and lacrosse coach in her hometown of Westminster, Md. McCord won the school’s first and only conference title in field hockey, where she remains second all-time with 61 victories and has the school’s best winning percentage (.656). In the 2002 season, McCord was named Centennial Conference Coach of the year in field hockey. She also rebuilt the lacrosse program at McDaniel, helping the Green Terror to a 10-6 record in 2002 and establishing recruiting in-roads that have led to McDaniel becoming a consistent top-25 program.

McCord moved to Florida in 2004 and took over a fledgling program at Nease High School (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) in 2006. The program had won only three games in its first three seasons, but, in her first season, Nease won four games and earned a top-20 ranking in the State of Florida. Nease went on to win consecutive district titles, and back-to-back No. 8 rankings in Florida in 2007 and 2008 as well as a No. 16 ranking in the southern United States in 2008. For her efforts, she was named by her peers as US Lacrosse-Orlando’s Coach of the Year.

McCord co-founded with her husband, Paul, a national travel lacrosse club called Lax Maniax Elite, which has helped more than 275 young women from Florida go on to play lacrosse in college and has boasted 22 high school all-Americans. The program won the 2007 and 2008 Southeastern Lacrosse championships and is recognized as the leading national club in the south.

McCord served as a Division I representative to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) from 2019-22 and has served the last four years on the Division I Ranking Committee (2019-22).

Born in Westminster, Md., McCord attended Westminster High School where she played field hockey, lacrosse, and ran track, earning honors in all three sports. In her senior year, she founded and implemented the first lacrosse club in Carroll County, Md., for middle and high school girls. Her husband, Paul, coached at JU for 10 seasons (2010-19) and works for Legacy Global Sports. Their daughter, Taylor, played lacrosse at Jacksonville University and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2015, an MBA in 2016, and currently works for Black Knight Financial. The couple also has a young son, LJ, born in 2015.

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Brittney Orashen

• Coached the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year & Pac-12 Attacker of the Year while helping Stanford to Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

• Helped lead Jacksonville to eight conference titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances as an assistant coach.

• Helped lead JU defenses that ranked among the top 10 in NCAA scoring defense in three seasons and caused turnovers in five.

• Guided two ASUN Defensive Players of the Year & three ASUN Players of the Year at JU.

• A First Team All-American & two-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Year twice (2014 & 2015) as a player

Orashen came to USF in July of 2022, joining head coach Mindy McCord as the Bulls prepared to launch a nationally successful women’s lacrosse program after a successful playing and coaching tenure with McCord at Jacksonville University.

Prior to USF, she served as an assistant coach at Stanford for the 2021-22 season where she was the team’s defensive coordinator. She helped lead the Cardinal to Pac-12 regular season and tournament championships, a Top 25 ranking, and the NCAA Tournament while Stanford players earned honors for Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year, Pac-12 Attacker of the Year, All-America recognition and the National Player of the Week.

Orashen served on the Jacksonville University coaching staff from 2015-21 under McCord, serving as associate head coach for the 2020-21 season, her sixth on staff.

She helped lead the Dolphins to eight ASUN Conference championships, including five ASUN Tournament titles (2021, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2015) and five NCAA Tournament berths.

The 2021 JU season was historic during Orashen's tenure. In her first year as associate head coach, she helped the team earn its fourth straight and seventh overall ASUN Conference Title, defeat No. 5-ranked Florida and appear in the Top 25 rankings for nine consecutive weeks. The team also garnered its seventh NCAA Tournament bid and advanced to the second round for the first time in program history.

She helped lead the JU defense to top 10 NCAA scoring defense rankings in 2021 (9th), 2019 (3rd) and 2017 (6th), while also ranking in the top 10 for caused turnovers in 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

During her time as an assistant coach at JU, she helped the Dolphins to a 17-win season in 2019, which matched a program record set in 2015 when she was a player on the team. She helped guide two ASUN Defensive Player of the Year winners (2021 & 2019) and three ASUN Player of the Year honorees (2021, 2018 & 2017) while helping players earn honorable mention All-America recognition and engineering one of the best statistical teams in the country over that span.

The Lebanon, N.J. native excelled as a player from 2011-15 at JU, as the former team captain earned First Team All-America honors as a senior and was named the 2015 Jacksonville University Athlete of the Year. A JU Hall of Fame inductee (2021), she was also named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year twice (2014 & 2015) and landed on the ASUN All-Conference First Team and ASUN All-Tournament team four times each while helping the program win four conference championships (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). Orashen has written her name all over the JU record book, ranking as the all-time leader in ground balls, second all-time in caused turnovers and third in draw controls, while also scoring more than 100 goals in her storied career.

Orashen, who played in the UWLX in 2019, has been a part of numerous clinics and clubs throughout the east and has been an instrumental role model for girls wanting to learn the sport. She has been active as a club coach with nationally regarded programs like T3 (New Jersey) and LaxManiax (Florida). She has also helped coach the Devils Lacrosse (New Jersey) Club and Immaculata High School, and has been a regular on the college camp circuit, working with the seven-time NCAA champion Northwestern and Jacksonville University.

Orashen earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Davis College of Business at JU in 2014 and subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration from the college's nationally-ranked program in 2015.

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Paul McCord

• JU went 136-44 and won 15 conference championships during his tenure on the Dolphins’ coaching staff (2011-20)

• Worked with NBA/NCAA basketball standout Bo Kimble to develop a Fastbreak offense that has earned 17 NCAA statistical championships, twice setting the NCAA season scoring record.

• Served as interim head coach at JU in 2015 and led Dolphins to a program-record 17 wins, ASUN regular season and tournament titles and led the NCAA in assists, points, scoring margin and ground balls.

• Founded LaxManiax Lacrosse Club

• Former football player (NFL and RFL), was part of coaching staff on Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl XXV winning team

Named an assistant coach on Mindy McCord's first USF lacrosse staff, Paul McCord spent nine seasons with the JU women's lacrosse program (2011-20), working with head coach Mindy McCord to launch the program to conference and national success and elevating from assistant to associate head coach in July 2015.

An innovative offense mind, McCord oversaw the recruiting of USF's first classes (2023 and 2024) and developed an innovative roster management system to handle the growth of the Bulls' initial team as it prepared to compete in a 2023-24 exhibition season. He also directed ten prospect camps and clinics in his first year in Tampa.

Prior to his arrival at USF, McCord directed JU's systems and player development program since his arrival in Jacksonville in 2011. During his tenure, the Dolphins posted a 136-44 record, including a 45-1 mark in the ASUN Conference, highlighted by 15 conference championships – eight regular season titles and seven league tournament crowns. – and twice posting a program record with three consecutive NCAA postseason appearances (2013-15 and 2017-19).

Inspired by the historic run of the 1990 Loyola Marymount men’s basketball team featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 “Guru of Go,” McCord reached out to former NBA player and LMU legend, Bo Kimble, for insight on implementing their famous “run and gun” offense into lacrosse.

Drawing on a combination of Kimble’s expertise, McCord’s football background, and Mindy McCord’s lacrosse knowledge, the Dolphins led the NCAA in several statistical categories over his tenure and earned 17 NCAA statistical championships; most notably setting, and later breaking, their own NCAA scoring record. McCord has spoken on the success of the Dolphins’ offensive system several times, including at the US Lacrosse Convention (LaxCon).

During the 2015 season, McCord assumed active head coaching responsibilities while Mindy McCord was on maternity leave. His leadership directed the Dolphins to a single-season record of 17 victories, which ranked third-best in the nation that year. The team also led the NCAA in assists, points, scoring margin and ground balls. McCord oversaw the performance of ASUN Player of the Year Holly Ventimiglia and ASUN Defensive Player of the Year Britt Orashen, while the team won its third ASUN regular-season and tournament titles.

During the 2014 season, McCord once again oversaw the top-rated attack in the nation, leading the country in scoring for the fourth consecutive year. He helped design and implement one of the most innovative pressure defense schemes in the game, enabling the Dolphins to lead the nation in caused turnovers and ground balls while holding opponents to an amazing clear percentage of 58 percent. The team won the ASUN regular-season title and league tournament championship.

During the 2013 season, McCord once again directed the nation's top-rated attack, helping JU to the inaugural ASUN regular-season and tournament titles.

During the 2012 season, McCord's attack set the NCAA record for scoring in a season, led the nation in scoring for the second straight season and claimed the National Lacrosse Conference championship for the second year in a row.

McCord began at JU in 2011 leading the team's offense to a top NCAA ranking and helping the Dolphins to a then-record for wins (14), claiming the National Lacrosse Conference championship.

McCord began his women’s lacrosse coaching career in 1999 as an assistant at Western Maryland College, where he also served as the team’s strength and conditioning coach. He assisted the program until 2002, helping the Green Terror to become nationally competitive in the Centennial Conference.

In 2006, he founded LaxManiax Lacrosse Club and Bartram Trail High School Lacrosse Club while serving as a founding coach with Creeks Athletics Association. He has been a staple on the collegiate camp circuit, working camps at Northwestern University, Jacksonville University, and many others.

Before focusing on lacrosse, McCord enjoyed a successful career in football. After being cut in training camp by the Dallas Cowboys as a player, McCord took an assistant coaching job at Western Maryland College (now known as McDaniel College) and was part of a staff that led the school to its first-ever Centennial Conference championship in 1997 and six consecutive conference titles overall. McCord also had a brief stint as a player with the Ohio Cannon of the Regional Football League and Baltimore Ravens of the NFL before becoming an intern with the Baltimore Ravens under head coach Brian Billick from 1999-01, working on the special teams staff. He was part of the organization that won Super Bowl XXXV when the Ravens defeated the New York Giants.

Following his stint in Baltimore, McCord worked under head coach Joe Gardi at Hofstra University as a special teams coach, helping the then-Flying Dutchmen to an Atlantic 10 co-championship and a top-10 I-AA ranking in 2001.

McCord also served as an assistant special teams and strength coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars before becoming a special teams consultant with the Buffalo Bills in 2004 and 2005.

McCord graduated cum laude from Western Maryland College with a degree in history and education. He went on to earn a master’s degree in exercise science from WMC, now called McDaniel College.

Paul and Mindy have a daughter, Taylor, who graduated in 2016 and played for the Jacksonville women's lacrosse team, and a young son, Lytton.

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Sharn Muffett

Sharn Muffett joined the USF women’s lacrosse staff in July of 2023, after completing her post-graduate studies and athletic eligibility at Queens University of Charlotte. Muffett’s journey in lacrosse began at an early age, rising from her humble beginnings playing for the Wanneroo-Joondalup Lacrosse Club in Western Australia to competing collegiately at the Division I level in the United States. Her passion for the sport has driven her to achieve remarkable success on the lacrosse field, grow her knowledge of the game, and help other team members reach their athletic and personal goals.

During high school, Muffett emerged as a force to be reckoned with on the lacrosse field. Muffett represented Western Australia at the U15, U18, and Senior levels garnering accolades such as MVP honors and earning her spot as a 3x All-Star team goalkeeper. During her senior year, Muffett was recognized as the U18 Tournament MVP leading her team to a National Championship in 2016. She participated in lacrosse with enthusiasm, with her talent and dedication to the sport leading to a unique opportunity to represent her country in the FIL Rathbones U19 Women’s Lacrosse World Cup in 2015, where she proudly donned the Australian jersey alongside her future Jacksonville University teammate Ashtyn Hiron.

Before joining USF, Muffett began her college career as a player under the leadership of current USF coaching staff, Mindy McCord, Paul McCord, and Brittney Orashen. During Muffett’s time at JU, the team achieved four ASUN Championships, three NCAA First Round appearances, and an NCAA Second-Round appearance in 2021. As a freshman in 2018, Muffett faced a setback due to injury but remained resilient. In 2019, she truly found her stride, showcasing her goalkeeping skills in 14 games throughout the season. One of her standout performances came in a game against Michigan on May 10, recording eight saves and earning commendable praise despite the nine goals allowed. Muffett was also recognized for her contribution to JU’s program earning the program's Unsung Hero award for her efforts. The following year, in 2020, Muffett demonstrated her resilience once again when the worldwide Coronavirus outbreak impacted the season. Despite the adversity, she managed to participate in a couple of games, where she recorded five saves during the ASUN opener against Stetson on March 1. As a senior in 2021, Muffett again suffered from injury but found additional ways to contribute to the team’s success which grew her aspiration of coaching.

Between each off-season, Muffett would return home to Australia and assist her local club, Wanneroo-Joondalup Lacrosse Club as both a player and coach. Muffett sought to give back to the lacrosse community as a development officer and coach in the hope of continuing the growth of lacrosse in Australia. During this time, Muffett introduced many new youth players to the sport and was able to recruit members to her local club. As a Division II coach, Muffett’s team won back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020.

Post-undergrad, Muffett finished out her athletic eligibility at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2022, Muffett took on a more significant role in the team, playing in 18 games and starting in nine. She recorded 60 saves and tallied 18 ground balls, demonstrating her versatility and athleticism on the field. Completing the regular season as SAC Conference champions, the undefeated Royals would go on to make an NCAA Division II Final Four appearance, where Muffett’s performance earned her recognition on the national stage being selected as the Final Four All-Tournament Team Goalkeeper for 2022.

The pinnacle of her college career came in the 2023 season when the Queens University of Charlotte Royals moved to the ASUN Conference to compete in Division I. Muffett competed in 17 games, amassing 99 saves, tallying 18 ground balls, and 6 caused turnovers. It was during this season that Muffett recorded her 100th career save at Queens, a testament to her consistency and skill as a goalkeeper. Her performances in the 2023 season also earned her national recognition, as she ranked among the top three players nationally in save percentage and GAA.

Off the field, Muffett is an aspiring communicator and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications at JU in 2021. Muffett whilst attending JU, additionally minored in graphic design and marketing as well as earned a Certificate of Strategic Social Media. Graduating with a 3.838 GPA Muffett was the Student of the Year recipient for both the Department of Communications and Division of Humanities in 2021. Muffett subsequently earned a Master of Arts in Strategic Communications at Queens University of Charlotte in 2023.

With her impressive achievements and unwavering commitment to the sport, Muffett has undoubtedly carved a path of excellence in women’s lacrosse. Her journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes, and she continues to strive for greatness and build a legacy at USF that will be celebrated for years to come.