Former Drexel Assistant Coach Caroline Fitzgerald, a three-time All-American defender at the University of Florida, is joining the Arizona State Lacrosse staff as an Assistant Coach, as announced by head coach Courtney Martinez Connor on Friday.
"I'm so glad to have Caroline join our staff" Coach Courtney Martinez Connor remarked. "She will be a wonderful addition and influence to our student-athletes and program. I'm so happy that she has joined our family to become a Sun Devil."
Fitzgerald joins the Sun Devil Lacrosse staff after one season as an Assistant Coach at Drexel, where she worked primarily with the defense. Working under Dragons head coach Hannah Wszalek, Fitzgerald assisted with defensive concepts, helped implement defense schemes, and developed practice/game plans. She was also one of Drexel Lacrosse's primary recruiters, in charge of leading recruiting tours and creating presentations for prospective student-athletes.
"I would like like to thank Ray Anderson, Coach Martinez Connor and the entire athletic department for the opportunity to become part of the Sun Devil family" Fitzgerald said. "Throughout the years, Arizona State University has established rich traditions in academics and athletics and I look forward to helping our coaching staff build on those successes with the ASU Women's Lacrosse program."
As part of the Dragon's staff, Fitzgerald worked closely with the Colonial Athletic Association's Rookie of the Year Colleen Grady. Grady became the first Drexel player ever to receive a major Postseason honor from the conference. Additionally, Dragon's freshman Karson Harris placed on the All-CAA Second Team and All-CAA Rookie Team, joining her teammate Colleen Grady in earning the distinctions.
"She gained valuable coaching experience over the past year and her work ethic and competitiveness was evident" Coach Martinez Connor said.
Fitzgerald's coaching experience does not stop there, as she has been a part of Long Island Top Guns Lacrosse beginning in May of 2013. There she was the head coach for a pair of elite high school travel lacrosse clubs. Fitzgerald was in charge of creating strategies, plays, and lineups for games and tournaments. Additionally, she directed practices, camps, clinics, and tryouts while assisting players with the college recruiting process through communication with prospective coaches.
A four-year starter at the University of Florida, Fitzgerald made a tremendous impact in her career in Gainesville. Graduating as the program's all-time leader in ground balls (152) and caused turnovers (87), Fitzgerald will go down as one of the Gator's most productive defenders. Offering her team consistency and durability, she started all 82 games of her four-year career, the second most in school history. She also matched the program's single-game record with five caused turnovers in a win at Marquette. Fitzgerald saved her best play for last, as she set career-highs in ground balls (46), caused turnovers (26) and assists (2) in her final season at Florida. The Gators compiled a 68-14 record during her time in Gainesville, capturing the regular season and conference tournament crown in each campaign. She excelled off the field as well as on it, earning a spot on the Big East All-Academic Team and the SEC Spring Honor Roll as a senior.
Fitzgerald compiled several major accolades during her career at Florida. She was a two-time Tewaaraton Award Nominee (2016, 2017), an award which is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player. Earning IWLCA All-American honors in each of her final three seasons, Fitzgerald became just the fourth Gator to be selected to three All-America teams. The two-time Big East Defender of the Year (2016, 2017) also was named to the All-Big East First Team on three occasions (2015-2017). She was named team captain of the 2017 squad, a team that finished ranked No. 9 in the country with a 17-3 record.
"She competed at the highest level during her college career at Florida and continued her playing career into the United Women's Lacrosse League" Coach Martinez Connor added.
Fitzgerald would burst onto the scene as a freshman, garnering national attention as one of only freshman to start every game for a Top-10 Gators team. She gained NCAA Tournament experience, helping Florida advance to the second round with a victory over No. 17 Denver. This would represent the first of two NCAA Tournament victories for Fitzgerald and company, as they would take down No. 10 Stanford in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Fitzgerald would go on to receive Inside Lacrosse All-Rookie Team honors in 2014 after an outstanding freshman campaign that culminated in an American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) regular season and conference tournament championship.
After enjoying a successful collegiate career for the University of Florida, Fitzgerald was drafted in 2017 by the New York Fight of the Women's Professional Lacrosse League Inaugural Draft. Additionally, she was drafted by Long Island Sound of the United Women's Lacrosse League. She recently became Longstreth's first sponsored lacrosse athlete, a company committed to supporting the development of female athletes across field hockey, lacrosse, and softball.
Before arriving in Gainesville, Fitzgerald was a prep star at Mount Sinai High School in New York. She was selected to the Under Armour Senior North Team after completing a perfect 17-0 season that ended with a victory in the Class C Championship. Prior to that, Fitzgerald was a three-time Under Armour High School All-American (2010-12).
Coming from a family of collegiate athletes, it was no surprise sports were a part of Fitzgerald's life from a young age. Both of her parents were student-athletes at the University of Iowa in the 1980's. She is one of four siblings that went on to play college sports at the Division I level.
Fitzgerald graduated from the University of Florida in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in the School of Telecommunications.
"I'm so glad to have Caroline join our staff" Coach Courtney Martinez Connor remarked. "She will be a wonderful addition and influence to our student-athletes and program. I'm so happy that she has joined our family to become a Sun Devil."
Fitzgerald joins the Sun Devil Lacrosse staff after one season as an Assistant Coach at Drexel, where she worked primarily with the defense. Working under Dragons head coach Hannah Wszalek, Fitzgerald assisted with defensive concepts, helped implement defense schemes, and developed practice/game plans. She was also one of Drexel Lacrosse's primary recruiters, in charge of leading recruiting tours and creating presentations for prospective student-athletes.
"I would like like to thank Ray Anderson, Coach Martinez Connor and the entire athletic department for the opportunity to become part of the Sun Devil family" Fitzgerald said. "Throughout the years, Arizona State University has established rich traditions in academics and athletics and I look forward to helping our coaching staff build on those successes with the ASU Women's Lacrosse program."
As part of the Dragon's staff, Fitzgerald worked closely with the Colonial Athletic Association's Rookie of the Year Colleen Grady. Grady became the first Drexel player ever to receive a major Postseason honor from the conference. Additionally, Dragon's freshman Karson Harris placed on the All-CAA Second Team and All-CAA Rookie Team, joining her teammate Colleen Grady in earning the distinctions.
"She gained valuable coaching experience over the past year and her work ethic and competitiveness was evident" Coach Martinez Connor said.
Fitzgerald's coaching experience does not stop there, as she has been a part of Long Island Top Guns Lacrosse beginning in May of 2013. There she was the head coach for a pair of elite high school travel lacrosse clubs. Fitzgerald was in charge of creating strategies, plays, and lineups for games and tournaments. Additionally, she directed practices, camps, clinics, and tryouts while assisting players with the college recruiting process through communication with prospective coaches.
A four-year starter at the University of Florida, Fitzgerald made a tremendous impact in her career in Gainesville. Graduating as the program's all-time leader in ground balls (152) and caused turnovers (87), Fitzgerald will go down as one of the Gator's most productive defenders. Offering her team consistency and durability, she started all 82 games of her four-year career, the second most in school history. She also matched the program's single-game record with five caused turnovers in a win at Marquette. Fitzgerald saved her best play for last, as she set career-highs in ground balls (46), caused turnovers (26) and assists (2) in her final season at Florida. The Gators compiled a 68-14 record during her time in Gainesville, capturing the regular season and conference tournament crown in each campaign. She excelled off the field as well as on it, earning a spot on the Big East All-Academic Team and the SEC Spring Honor Roll as a senior.
Fitzgerald compiled several major accolades during her career at Florida. She was a two-time Tewaaraton Award Nominee (2016, 2017), an award which is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player. Earning IWLCA All-American honors in each of her final three seasons, Fitzgerald became just the fourth Gator to be selected to three All-America teams. The two-time Big East Defender of the Year (2016, 2017) also was named to the All-Big East First Team on three occasions (2015-2017). She was named team captain of the 2017 squad, a team that finished ranked No. 9 in the country with a 17-3 record.
"She competed at the highest level during her college career at Florida and continued her playing career into the United Women's Lacrosse League" Coach Martinez Connor added.
Fitzgerald would burst onto the scene as a freshman, garnering national attention as one of only freshman to start every game for a Top-10 Gators team. She gained NCAA Tournament experience, helping Florida advance to the second round with a victory over No. 17 Denver. This would represent the first of two NCAA Tournament victories for Fitzgerald and company, as they would take down No. 10 Stanford in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Fitzgerald would go on to receive Inside Lacrosse All-Rookie Team honors in 2014 after an outstanding freshman campaign that culminated in an American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) regular season and conference tournament championship.
After enjoying a successful collegiate career for the University of Florida, Fitzgerald was drafted in 2017 by the New York Fight of the Women's Professional Lacrosse League Inaugural Draft. Additionally, she was drafted by Long Island Sound of the United Women's Lacrosse League. She recently became Longstreth's first sponsored lacrosse athlete, a company committed to supporting the development of female athletes across field hockey, lacrosse, and softball.
Before arriving in Gainesville, Fitzgerald was a prep star at Mount Sinai High School in New York. She was selected to the Under Armour Senior North Team after completing a perfect 17-0 season that ended with a victory in the Class C Championship. Prior to that, Fitzgerald was a three-time Under Armour High School All-American (2010-12).
Coming from a family of collegiate athletes, it was no surprise sports were a part of Fitzgerald's life from a young age. Both of her parents were student-athletes at the University of Iowa in the 1980's. She is one of four siblings that went on to play college sports at the Division I level.
Fitzgerald graduated from the University of Florida in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in the School of Telecommunications.