TEMPE -- On Monday, Sun Devil Lacrosse Head Coach Taryn VanThof announced that Caroline Wakefield was promoted to Associate Head Coach after serving as an assistant coach on the staff for three seasons.
VanThof was full of praise for Wakefield, "Caroline’s passion and energy have a lasting impact on everyone she encounters. Paired with her deep lacrosse knowledge, she has strengthened our defensive units and elevated our team culture. She is a tireless recruiter, a devoted mentor, and an invaluable part of our program. This promotion to Associate Head Coach is a reflection of her hard work, leadership, and unwavering commitment to Sun Devil Lacrosse."
Under Wakefield’s defensive guidance, Sun Devil Alum Katie Vahle topped the program’s record books as the most successful goalie in Arizona State history. After graduating in 2025, she held onto the program’s record for most career saves (661) and wins (35). ASU was 36th in the nation with a 44.9 save percentage, which was the second-best mark in the Big 12.
In 2025, the Wakefield-coach defender in Keeley Cleland was named to the All-Big 12 Team, and was the first Sun Devil Defender to earn a postseason honor since 2022.
Prior to that, in 2024, the Sun Devils had three Pac-12 weekly Defender of the Week honors.
During an illustrious career as a defender with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Wakefield left Chapel Hill as one of the most successful players in program history. She is one of the winningest players in UNC Women’s Lacrosse, having been a part of a dominant run from 2016-2021. The highlight of her career came in 2016 when she was on the team that won the program’s second National Championship.
Her final season in Carolina Blue was a memorable one, as she was the 2021 UNC Breakthrough Athlete of the Year and Team “Hard Hat" on a team that went 20-1 and finished as the National runner-up. She was named an IWLCA Third Team All-American after starting all 21 games on defense, collecting 33 ground balls and causing 27 turnovers. She received the UNC "Hard Hat" Award, identified as one of the hardest working and toughest in the program. The ACC All-Tournament Team selection also received IWLCA Second Team All-South Region honors in 2021. Caroline holds the UNC record for 5 caused turnovers and 5 ground balls in a single game.