Colleen Shearer - Women's Lacrosse Coach - University of Richmond Athletics

Colleen Shearer

Title:
Volunteer Assistant Coach

Colleen Shearer enters her second season as a volunteer assistant coach after joining the Spiders staff in 2018-19.

Shearer brings over two decades of experience to the Spider sideline, including 19 seasons at Virginia. Most recently as a volunteer assistant at James Madison, she helped lead the Dukes to the 2018 National Championship, as well as a program best 22-1 overall record.

While at JMU, Shearer helped coach Tewaaraton finalist, Honda Award Nominee, Inside Lacrosse Media First Team All-American and CAA Player of the Year Kristen Gaudian.

Before her season with the Dukes, she spent 2017 as the head coach at Bridgewater College, where she led the Eagles to a 10-7 overall record and 4-4 mark in ODAC play. Four Bridgewater student-athletes earned All-ODAC honors.

The bulk of Shearer’s career was spent at Virginia, where she served as Associate Head Coach while working primarily with the attack and developing the offense. She helped guide the Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament all 19 seasons, and played an integral role in the program’s run to the 2004 National Title. In her 19 seasons, Virginia reached the NCAA title game in 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 while also winning five Atlantic Coast Conference Championships.

Shearer was honored at the IWLCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2010. During her time in Charlottesville, she also coached 63 All-Americans, four Academic All-Americans, six Tewaaraton finalists and one winner, and five National Player of the Year selections.

Before her tenure at Virginia, Shearer was the first head coach at Wagner College in 1996. She led the Wagner program to an 8-8 record in 1997 before joining the UVA staff.

Shearer’s additional coaching experience includes a season as the general manager of the Baltimore Ride, a founding member of the United Women’s Lacrosse League, in 2016.

A former member of the US National Developmental Team, she was a three-time All-American at Rowan and was team captain as a senior. She led the Profs to the 1995 NCAA Championship, marking their first appearance in the tournament. Shearer led the nation in assists in both 1994 and 1995 and finished her collegiate career ranked fourth all-time in assists. She also holds two of the top eight single-season point totals in NCAA history.