Kristen Nicholson was named as the head coach of Lafayette's women's lacrosse on June 26, 2026.
Previously, she molded Kutztown University into a contender on the national stage, leaving the Golden Bears as the women’s lacrosse all-time coaching wins leader (57). In five seasons, her squads earned three NCAA Tournament berths and featured 23 all-conference, 18 all-region and 10 All-America selections.
In her final season at Kutztown, Nicholson guided the program to the NCAA Elite 8 while the team amassed a school-record 16 wins and finished 11th in the final Top-25 poll. Kutztown played games against 12 nationally-ranked opponents, with the final wins over those ranked foes coming against the last two unbeaten teams in the country.
When Nicholson took over at Kutztown, she inherited a one-win program. Two seasons later, she directed a nine-win improvement that included 13 wins and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and national ranking. In 2024, Kutztown won a then school-record 15 games and finished as the PSAC runner-up while also qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to arriving at Kutztown, Nicholson spent six seasons (2016-21) as the head coach at Moravian University (formerly College), finishing with a 46-37 record that included three-straight conference tournament semifinal appearances. The Centereach, N.Y. native took over a program that had been on a hiatus for five seasons, building the roster, team culture and competitive identity from the ground up. Nicholson coached 16 all-conference selections and two all-region honorees.
Her first coaching foray came at her alma mater FDU-Florham, first as an assistant coach for two seasons and then as the interim head coach during the 2013 campaign when the 13-8 squad captured a conference title.
Nicholson graduated with a degree in fine arts in 2010 from FDU-Florham where she later earned her master's degree in sport management. During her playing career, she tallied 179 career points (131 goals, 48 assists) while adding 77 ground balls and 60 draw controls. As a senior, Nicholson served as a team captain and earned all-conference honors while leading the squad to an ECAC Mid-Atlantic championship.
She currently resides in Milford, N.J., with her husband, David, and their son, Gavin.
Updated 6/2026
