Penn State Women's Lacrosse Hires Head Coach From Syracuse

Penn State hired Kayla Treanor away from her alma mater at Syracuse to be its next women's lacrosse head coach. Treanor arrives in State College after coaching the Orange two NCAA semifinal appearances in the past four years. Treanor replaces Missy Doherty, who resigned in May after 15 seasons to pursue other professional opportunities, according to a Penn State news release.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kayla Treanor to our Penn State family as our women’s lacrosse head coach,” Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said in a statement “Her unparalleled experience as both a player and coach make her the perfect leader for our program. I know Kayla will elevate our program to new heights after seeing firsthand her passion for developing student-athletes, championship mindset and commitment to excellence.”

Treanor compiled a 59-24 record as Syracuse's head coach, leading the Orange to four NCAA Tourmament appearances and trips to the semifinals in 2023 and '24. Syracuse went 9-8 during the 2025 regular season, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In 2024, Treanor guided Syracuse to its second straight ACC title and a trip to the NCAA semifinals, where it fell to eventual national champ Boston College. Before becoming Syracuse's head coach, Treanor spent four years on the women's lacrosse staff at Boston College. Kraft was Boston College's athletic director during part of that time.

“I’m honored to be named the head coach of Penn State Women’s Lacrosse,” Treanor said in a statement. “I want to thank Pat Kraft and the entire athletics department for their trust in me and for the significant investment they’re making in this program. Penn State is committed to winning at the highest level, and so am I. Our sights are set on bringing a National Championship to Happy Valley, and I’m excited to lead this team into a new era of success.”

Treanor was a four-time, first-team All-American at Syracuse and a three-time ACC offensive player of the year. She helped Syracuse to four straight appearances in the NCAA semifinals, incouding the 2014 national-championship game. Treanor was a three-time finalist for the Tewaarton Award and finished her career as Syracuse's all-time leading scorer.

Penn State women's lacrosse went 7-9 last season, closing the year with a 13-8 loss to Johns Hopkins in the Big Ten Tournament.