Lauren Benner joined the Loyola women’s lacrosse program for the 2022 season. She brings with her over 10 years of coaching experience at the collegiate, high school and youth levels.
Most recently the head coach and goalie director at 3d Lacrosse Colorado in Denver, Benner was responsible for developing and implementing college-level training and prep for nationally ranked goalies, including Lauren Spence, a freshman on the Greyhounds’ roster this spring. She also served as the head lacrosse coach at Valor Christian High School from 2017-20, where she was named the CHSAA State Coach of the Year in 2019 after leading Valor to a school record for most wins in a season, the school’s first-ever League Championship and a state semifinal appearance.
Benner began her coaching career at the University of Denver, where she served as an assistant coach for the 2012-15 seasons. She helped the Pioneers to four-straight winning seasons, their first MPSF Conference Championship in 2013 – a feat in which Denver repeated in 2014 – the program’s first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and a No. 16 final ranking in the 2013 IWLCA Coaches Poll. Under her guidance, Denver’s goalkeeper ranked first nationally in saves in 2013, third in save percentage in 2013 and 2014 and was a Top-25 Tewaaraton Award Semifinalist in 2014.
Following her time at Denver, Benner joined the Louisville staff as an assistant coach for the 2016 season. There, she helped the Cardinal to the program’s highest-ever national ranking (5th) and she helped coach a Top-25 Tewaaraton Award Semifinalist, an All-American and three Regional All-Americans.
As a player, Benner was a goalkeeper at the University of Virginia from 2007-10. She helped the Cavaliers to a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, four-straight NCAA Tournaments and an appearance in championship weekend. She was named to the IWLCA All-South Region Team in 2010 and earned VaSID All-State Team honors that same year. Due to redshirting her sophomore season, Benner was able to play her fifth year at the University of Denver, where she obtained her master’s degree in strategic communications. She also graduated from UVa in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies/media studies.
Post-collegiately, Benner played for Team STX, where she helped to expand the reach of women's lacrosse nationally and internationally while representing the brand and products globally.
In addition to her playing and coaching experience, Benner is a women’s lacrosse referee and owns Line 39 Lacrosse, a company committed to creating specialized training plans for individuals and groups looking to improve their lacrosse skills.
