Women's Lacrosse
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- jir5@lehigh.edu
- Phone:
- 610-758-4321
- Alma Mater:
- Third Season
Jill Redfern is in her third year as the head coach of the Lehigh women’s lacrosse program. During her inaugural season on the sideline, Redfern led the Mountain Hawks to the fourth most victories in a single season in school annals, the most home wins in program history, the program’s third consecutive berth in the Patriot League Tournament, and Lehigh tied the school mark for the most Patriot League victories in a single season. The success continued in 2010 as the Mountain Hawks jumped out to an 8-0 start before winning the Patriot League Regular Season Title and advancing all the way to the Championship Game.
Redfern was named the head women’s lacrosse coach at Lehigh on June 23, 2008. Prior to that she served as the Associate Head Coach of the program. During that time, she helped lead the Mountain Hawks to a pair of Patriot League Tournament appearances, and helped to mentor 13 All-Patriot League selections, three consecutive Rookie of the Year honorees and a pair of Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year award winners.
In 2008, Redfern brought on assistant coach Kelley Putnam. The two went onto mentor a program record eight All-Patriot League selections, including freshman Kelly Draper who earned the program’s fourth consecutive Patriot League Rookie of the Year Award – a first for all programs in all sports in Patriot League history. Redfern also was instrumental in the development of Lauren Dykstra who was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Region, and was selected to the final tryout for the United States Women’s Developmental Team.
Redfern has enjoyed a very successful career in coaching, which includes a previous stint at Lafayette College where she garnered Patriot League Coach of the Year honors in 2000 after leading the Leopards to the league title. Redfern also served as an assistant in both the field hockey and lacrosse programs at Lafayette for ten years before assuming the head coaching position.
During her playing days, Redfern was a two time Division III All-American at Ursinus College and earned the MVP award of the 1986 NCAA Tournament as she helped lead the Bears to a national championship. Following her collegiate playing experience, Redfern was a member of the US National Lacrosse Team from 1987-1993, and capped off her international play as a member of the winning United States World Cup Team in 1993, in Edinburgh Scotland.
Redfern is a 1988 graduate of Ursinus College, and later earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Lehigh in 1991. She was inducted into the Ursinus Hall of Fame in 1998 for her exceptional contributions to women’s athletics.
Redfern and husband Tom reside in New Jersey with their two children, Nicholai (13) and Cecily (11) and their dog Licorice.
