KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kristen Nicholson, who directed the Kutztown University women's lacrosse program's rise to national prominence, was announced as the new head coach at NCAA Division I Lafayette College, Friday.
 
Nicholson joined KU in 2022 and departs as the winningest coach in program history after compiling a five-year record of 57-40 while leading the Golden Bears to unprecedented heights.
 
Under her leadership, Kutztown qualified for its first PSAC Championship tournament (2023), advanced to two PSAC championship games (2024, 2026) and made NCAA Championship tournament appearances in three of the last four seasons, including the program's first-ever national tournament appearance in 2023.
 
This past season, Nicholson guided the Maroon and Gold to a single season record 16 victories (16-7), the program's first two NCAA tournament wins and its first-ever appearance in the national quarterfinals. KU knocked off the last two remaining unbeaten teams in the country, both of which were ranked No. 4 nationally at the time.
 
Kutztown was ranked in every IWLCA Division II national poll during the 2026 season and finished a program-best 11th. The Golden Bears have been perennially ranked inside the top 25 since 2023, including a 12th-place final ranking in 2024, 18th-place final ranking in 2023 and 23rd-place final ranking in 2025. KU reached its highest-ever ranking of No. 10 for three weeks during the 2024 season.
 
In addition to team accomplishments, Nicholson mentored numerous standout players during her time at KU. The program claimed 23 all-conference selections, 18 all-region picks, six IWLCA All-Americans and four USA Lacrosse Magazine First, Second or Third Team All-Americans.
 
Nicholson, the 2022-23 KU Women's Coach of the Year, has a 116-58 career record (.577) over 12 seasons between stops at FDU-Florham (one season), Moravian (six seasons) and Kutztown (five seasons).

Kutztown will begin a national search for Nicholson's successor in the coming weeks.