June 19, 2014
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With Beth Hewitt, Vanderbilt lacrosse coach Cathy Swezey has hired an assistant coach with vast experience as a head coach, assistant coach and an All-American midfielder.
On Thursday, Swezey announced Hewitt as the Commodores’ newest assistant coach. She takes over for Susan Ellis, who spent the previous 15 years at Vanderbilt but left in May as her husband took a job in California.
Hewitt spent the past five years as a head coach at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., where she built the Dolphins into a Division II national power. In her five years at the helm, Le Moyne compiled an astonishing record of 71-20 (.780) with a 43-5 (.896) mark in the Northeast-10 Conference.
She guided the Dolphins to two Final Fours, three NCAA Tournaments, two NE-10 regular-season championships and conference tournament title. During a three-year stretch, from 2011-13, the Dolphins were 50-8, winning at least 16 games every year and not losing more than three games a season. In 2011, Hewitt, a New York native, led Le Moyne to a school-record 18 wins and their first of two Final Four trips.
“I am really excited to bring Beth to Vanderbilt,” said Swezey, who enters her 18th year at Vanderbilt. “I never dreamed that I would be able to hire someone with this level of experience and success. Beth is a great talent, and her enthusiasm and knowledge will help get our program back on the map. We feel very lucky and excited to have her on board.”
“I’m very excited to have been hired as the assistant lacrosse coach at Vanderbilt University,” Hewitt said. “I’d like to thank Cathy Swezey and the Vanderbilt administration for giving me the opportunity to join the Vanderbilt lacrosse family. I have enjoyed getting to know Cathy and (assistant coach) Julie (Gardner) and I am looking forward to working with them. I am thrilled to work with such outstanding student-athletes and coaches and cannot wait to get started.”
A college coach for less than a decade, Hewitt has built a reputation for forging success at programs in transitional phases.
In 2005, a year after she ended her heralded playing career at North Carolina, she ventured out to the University of Oregon. In Eugene, she helped the Ducks launch their lacrosse program. She spent three years at Oregon, holding the title of defensive coordinator in addition to helping recruit the program’s first recruiting classes. The Ducks improved their win total each year she was there.
In 2009, she received her first head coaching job before she turned 30. She was handed the reins of the Le Moyne program amidst a reclassification process. During her first season, in 2010, the Dolphins were an independent in Division I, going 9-6.
The next year, Le Moyne shifted to Division II and Hewitt quickly made the Dolphins a national power. In 2011, Le Moyne made its first of three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, reached the Division II Final Four and set a school record with 18 wins.
In 2012, the Dolphins again reached the Final Four. They also captured their first of two straight Northeast-10 Conference regular-season championships with a perfect 12-0 record in league play. The dominance continued in 2013 with another perfect run through league play for their second conference title. The Dolphins then won their first conference tournament crown to punch their ticket for their sixth NCAA Tournament in school history.
At North Carolina, she was an All-American, All-ACC selection and a four-year letter winner and midfielder. She led the Tar Heels in scoring her last two seasons. During her career, UNC claimed an ACC title and reached the NCAA Final Four.
In addition to receiving her bachelors degree in Communication Studies at North Carolina and masters degree from Oregon in Educational Leadership, Hewitt has worked extensively with Ameriprise Financial as a recruiter, Harrow Sports Inc. in the field of consulting, and Brine in the area of marketing and sales.
