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Head Coach Kelly GallagherKelly Gallagher
Head Coach

Kelly Gallagher is in her 13th season as the head women's lacrosse coach at the University of Tampa. She was chosen as the program's first coach, being named to the position on Oct. 9, 2012.

Gallagher currently serves as the IWLCA President. She was elected President in 2023, and her term as President of the Board of Directors expires in June 2025. She brings a total of 20 years of lacrosse experience, including coaching stints with Limestone College (2011-12) and NCAA Division I Detroit-Mercy (2008-11).

In her 12th season in charge of the program, Coach Gallagher led Tampa to its second NCAA National Championship victory, defeating Adelphi, 15-9, in Salem, Virginia. Tampa was the preseason favorite to repeat and started the season as the No. 1-ranked team by the IWLCA. On the way to winning back-to-back NCAA titles, the Spartans were crowned Sunshine State Conference regular season champions for the fifth time and were SSC tournament champions for the fourth time, clinching the program's fourth consecutive NCAA appearance. Tampa finished with an overall record of 21-1, which set a program high for most wins in a single season. Eighteen of the Spartans twenty-one victories were against nationally ranked opponents. Coach Gallagher and her staff were named IWLCA Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight year. Gallagher helped Isabella Avila, Savvy Barbosa, Peyton Howell, and Lexi Waters earn All-American status. Attacker, Peyton Howell, was named as the IWLCA National Attacker and Player of the Year, SSC Female Athlete of the Year, and was a finalist for the DII Honda Athlete of the Year. In addition to being named as an All-American, defender Lexi Waters was the IWLCA Defender of the Year. The Spartans had six players tabbed IWLCA All-Region and All-SSC, and three players were named as SSC Players of the Year for their respective positions.

In 2024, Coach Gallagher helped guide Tampa to new heights and achieve several program firsts. Gallagher led the program to its first-ever National title after defeating Adelphi, 13-8, in Winter Park, Florida. The Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 19-3 and ranked as the nation’s top team, which were both program bests. Coach Gallagher and her staff were named the IWLCA South Region and National Coaching Staff of the Year following the most successful season in the program’s history. Along the way to the program's first-ever National Championship, the Spartans broke a program record for most goals in a game with 28 against North Greenville and captured its second straight SSC Tournament Championship. Tampa had eight players earn All-SSC honors while Cece Colombo, Alyssa Romano, and Alex Walling garnered major SSC Player of the Year awards for their respective positions. In addition, seven players were named IWLCA All-South Region, and four achieved All-American status.

In her 10th season at Tampa, Gallagher led the Spartans to their highest ranking in the IWLCA Polls at No.2 and finished out the regular season undefeated in the Sunshine State Conference. As the back-to-back conference champions, the Spartans went on to win the SSC Tournament, it’s first since 2019, and won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game before falling in the Quarterfinals. Several Tampa players earned All-South Region and All-SSC selections while Dani Waters, Sarah Hinkle, and Erin Sistek received IWLCA All-American honors. After winning her third SSC Coach of the Year award, Gallagher remains as the lone Tampa coach to earn this title for the program.

2021 saw another shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gallagher led her team to a winning record of 7-3, finishing in a three-way tie for first in the SSC. Cece Colombo earned IWLCA All-American honors.

In her sixth season as head coach at the University of Tampa, Kelly Gallagher led her team to a season of several firsts. Her team won a program-best 14 games as it finished 14-4 on the 2019 season. She also led her team to the top 5 national rankings for the first time ever, climbing as high as No. 3 (5/3/19). With a 5-1 Sunshine State Conference record, she led her Spartans to capture their first-ever SSC tournament championship, taking down No. 3 Rollins and No. 5 Florida Southern along the way. She was honored as the 2019 SSC Coach of the Year, her second consecutive season receiving this honor. Additionally, for the first time in program history, two of her Spartans, Claire Swanson '20 and Carly Vaccaro ’20 received IWLCA All-America honors, while Swanson was also named conference player of the year. The Spartans 2019 campaign came to an end when they were defeated in the NCAA tournament, the program's first appearance, by the No. 10 Queens Royals. The Spartans finished the season ranked No. 7 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll.

Under her advisory, in 2018, the Spartans finished the season ranked No. 19 with an overall record of 12-6. In the historical season, UT opened competition defeating the No. 11-ranked Rollins College Tars by a final score of 10-6. This marked the first time in program history that the Spartans beat a ranked opponent. The firsts continued as the season progressed and Tampa battled into the national rankings, climbing as high as No. 15 (3/19/18). When conference accolades were announced, Gallagher was named the 2018 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year, while one of her players, Bridget Sutter, snagged Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year. The Spartans ended their historic season advancing to the Sunshine State Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament for the third time in program history after finishing third in regular-season play.

Her Spartans ranked among NCAA leaders in draw controls in each of her first two seasons, leading the nation in the category in the first year of existence.

She guided Tampa to a successful inaugural season in 2014, matching up against five nationally ranked opponents. After guiding the program to its first victory in an 11-9 win over Newberry on March 4, Gallagher led her Spartans to four consecutive victories to conclude the month of March, as the Spartans also won five of their final eight games of the 2014 campaign.

Career Success

  • SSC Regular Season Championships (4): 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • SSC Tournament Championships (2): 2019, 2023

Major Awards

  • All-Americans (23): 2019 - Claire Swanson (IWLCA First-Team), Carly Vaccaro (IWLCA Third-Team), 2020 - Claire Swanson (Inside Lacrosse First-Team), Bridget Sutter (Inside Lacrosse Second-Team), Carly Vaccaro (Inside Lacrosse Third-Team), 2021 - Cece Colombo (IWLCA Third-Team), 2022 - Cece Colombo (USA Lacrosse Second-Team), Madison Birch (USA Lacrosse Third-Team), Danielle Waters (IWLCA Second-Team), 2023 - Danielle Waters (IWLCA First-Team, USA Lacrosse First-Team), Sarah Hinkle (IWLCA Second-Team, USA Lacrosse First-Team), Alex Walling (USA Lacrosse Second-Team), Alyssa Romano (USA Lacrosse Second-Team), Erin Sistek (IWLCA Third-Team), 2024 - Cece Colombo (IWLCA First Team, USA Lacrosse Magazine Third Team), Sarah Hinkle (USA Lacrosse Magazine First Team, IWLCA Third Team), Alyssa Romano (IWLCA First Team, USA Lacrosse Magazine First Team), Alex Walling (IWLCA Second Team, USA Lacrosse Magazine Third Team), 2025 - Isabella Avila (IWLCA First Team, USA Lacrosse Magazine Third Team), Savvy Barbosa (IWLCA Third Team, USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention), Peyton Howell (IWLCA First Team, USA Lacrosse Magazine First Team), Lexi Waters (IWLCA First Team, USA Lacrosse Magazine Third Team)
  • SSC Player of the Year (1): 2019 - Claire Swanson
  • SSC Attack Player of the Year (1): 2025 - Peyton Howell
  • SSC Midfield Player of the Year (1): 2024 - Cece Colombo
  • SSC Defensive Player of the Year (2): 2024 - Alyssa Romano, 2025 - Lexi Waters
  • SSC Goalkeeper of the Year (2): 2024 - Alex Walling, 2025 - Savvy Barbosa
  • SSC Freshman of the Year (1): 2018 - Bridget Sutter
  • IWLCA Team Academic Award (11): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • IWLCA Academic Honor Squad (64): 2014 - Tess Hooker, 2015 - Kaitlin Delaney, 2016 - Jamie Austin, 2017 - Jaime Austin, Amanda Rom, Shannon Sweeney, 2018 - Sarah Bell, Abby Coccagna, Allison Popelar, Shannon Sweeney, 2019 - Sarah Bell, Abby Coccagna, Allie Popelar, Taylor Sisk, Claire Swanson, Mallary Weinsz, 2021 - Hannah Bush, Gianna Colombo, Abigail Hope, Lauren McNeill, Lizzie Pierpont, Genie Santarpio, Alexa Scudillo, Erin Sistek, Bridget Sutter, Samantha Van Buren, 2022 - Hannah Bush, Riley Coleman, Cece Colombo, Emma McLoughlin, Lizzie Pierpont, Abby Selhorn, Erin Sistek, Alex Walling, 2023 - Cece Colombo, Gia Colombo, Sarah Hinkle, Julia Kolderman, Riley McGettigan, Caitlin Miller, Elizabeth Pierpont, Abigail Selhorn, Erin Sistek, Dani Waters, Holliston Wagner, 2024 - Cassidy Burdette, Cece Colombo, Katie DeShan, Grace Gilmore, Sarah Hinkle, Riley McGettigan, Caitlin Miller, Mekelsey Montgomery, Molly Shapiro, Alyssa Romano, Delaney Stahrr, Lexi Waters, 2025 - Cassidy Burdette, Kaitlin Cloyd, Katie DeShan, Sarah Engle, Grace Gilmore, Mekelsey Montgomery, Jenna Myhal, Christina Sato, Molly Shapiro, Alexa Waters, Audrey Wisdom
  • IWLCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Division II) (1): 2019- Allie Popelar

Awards and Honors

  • IWLCA National Coaching Staff of the Year (2): 2024, 2025
  • IWLCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2): 2024, 2025
  • Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year (3): 2018, 2019, 2023

Previous Stop

As the top assistant at Limestone, Gallagher helped the Saints to a 17-2 record in 2012. While advancing to the NCAA tournament, Limestone had three IWCLA All-Americans. The Saints posted the top win-loss percentage in NCAA Division II, and also had five players in the national top-five among statistical rankings.

Hired as the first assistant coach in Detroit women’s lacrosse history, which began play in 2009 as the first such program in the State of Michigan, Gallagher was directly responsible for recruiting nationwide as well as handling the scheduling of practices and games. She also handled training of the team’s goalkeepers and scouting of both UDM’s players and their opponents.

Among Detroit-Mercy’s accomplishments during her tenure was a runner-up finish in the National Lacrosse Conference in 2009 and a semifinalist appearance the following season. The Titans also had nine players named to the NLC All-Conference Team, six All-Tournament selections and the 2009 NLC Attack Player of the Year.

Prior to her time at UDM, Gallagher was an assistant coach at Muhlenberg College from 2006-08. Joining the coaching staff in September of 2006, she helped the team to a 9-7 overall record in 2007 before the Mules posted a solid 11-5 record the following season. While with the Division III institution she was responsible for the development of the goalkeepers, recruitment efforts, the planning of practice and development of offensive sets.

Muhlenberg posted a record of 20-12 over those two years and qualified for the Centennial Conference Tournament in 2008 for the first time in program history. That season, the Mules also posted a team-record 11 wins and had a non-conference wins streak of 22 games through that campaign. They also placed five players on the All-Centennial Conference Team and had a North-South All-Star selection.

In addition to her college coaching experience, Gallagher also gained valuable international experience as she served as an assistant coach with the Haundenosaunee Under-19 World Team at the 2011World Cup in Hanover, Germany. In that role, she helped to develop and prepare the goalkeepers, plan team camps and practices and develop offensive and defensive strategies.

Personal

As a player, Gallagher competed for Washington College in Chestertown, Md., from 2003-06. While there, she helped lead the Shorewomen to a runner-up finish in the 2003 ECAC Regional Lacrosse Championship. She started at attack for two seasons and was voted team captain as a senior by her teammates.

A 2006 graduate of Washington College, Gallagher holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history and a minor in political science.

Assistant Coach Caili GuildayCaili Guilday
Assistant Coach

Caili Guilday is in her eighth season at UT after being hired as the top assistant in the fall of 2018. Caili serves as the defensive coordinator and goalie coach for the Spartans.

In 2025, Guilday helped guide Tampa to its second NCAA National Championship victory, defeating Adelphi, 15-9. On the way to winning back-to-back NCAA titles, the Spartans were crowned Sunshine State Conference regular season champions for the fifth time and were SSC tournament champions for the fourth time, clinching the program's fourth consecutive NCAA appearance. After finishing with an overall record of 21-1, which set a program high for most wins in a single season, Tampa was named the IWLCA South Region and National Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season. Guilday and the Spartans had four players in Isabella Avila, Savvy Barbosa, Peyton Howell, and Lexi Waters earn All-American status. In addition to being named as an All-American, defender Lexi Waters was the IWLCA Defender of the Year. Guilday also helped mentor goalkeeper Savvy Barbosa, who finished fifth in the nation in save percentage, and Tampa to finish as the ninth-ranked scoring defense in the nation. The Spartans had six players tabbed IWLCA All-Region and All-SSC, and three players were named as SSC Players of the Year for their respective positions.

In her seventh season as the top assistant at UT, Guilday helped the program to its first-ever National title after defeating Adelphi, 13-8, in Winter Park, Florida. The Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 19-3 and ranked as the nation’s top team, which were both program bests. After capturing its second straight SSC Tournament Championship and first-ever NCAA title, Tampa was named the IWLCA South Region and National Coaching Staff of the Year. Guilday mentored eight players who earned All-SSC honors, while Cece Colombo, Alyssa Romano, and Alex Walling garnered major SSC Player of the Year awards for their respective positions. In addition, seven players were named IWLCA All-South Region, and four achieved All-American status.  In addition to being named as an All-American, defender Lexi Waters was the IWLCA Defender of the Year. The Spartans had six players tabbed IWLCA All-Region and All-SSC, and three players were named as SSC Players of the Year for their respective positions.

Guilday helped lead the 2023 Spartans to their highest ranking in the IWLCA Polls at No.2 and finished out the regular season undefeated in the Sunshine State Conference. As the back-to-back conference champions, the Spartans went on to win the SSC Tournament, their first since 2019, and won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game before falling in the Quarterfinals. Guilday mentored several Tampa players who earned All-South Region and All-SSC selections, including Dani Waters, Sarah Hinkle, and Erin Sistek, who received IWLCA All-America honors.

Guilday and the Spartans finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 11-8 and were crowned SSC Champions. The Spartans recorded four top-25 wins in a row, including a road win over No. 6 Rollins. Tampa had six players receive All-SSC honors, and Madison Birch, Lizzie Pierpont, and Dani Waters were named All-South Region. Waters also received IWLCA All-America honors.

In a shortened 2021 season, the Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 7-3. Guilday helped guide both Cece Colombo and Erin Sistek to All-South Region accolades, and Colombo also received IWLCA All-America honors.

In a shortened 2020 season, the Spartans went 6-1, and Guilday coached the Inside Lacrosse Player of the Year, midfielder Claire Swanson, along with two-time SSC Defensive Player of the Week Bridget Sutter in goal.

In her first season as an assistant coach at the University of Tampa, Caili Guilday helped lead the Spartans to several firsts. The squad won a program-best 14 games as it finished 14-4 in the 2019 season. The squad also received a top 5 national ranking for the first time ever, climbing as high as No. 3 (5/3/19). With a 5-1 Sunshine State Conference record, she helped lead the Spartans to capture their first-ever SSC tournament championship, taking down No. 3 Rollins and No. 5 Florida Southern along the way. Additionally, for the first time in program history, two of her Spartans, Claire Swanson '20 and Carly Vaccaro '20, received IWLCA All-America honors, while Swanson was also named conference player of the year. The Spartans 2019 campaign came to an end when they were defeated in the NCAA tournament, the program's first appearance, by the No. 10 Queens Royals. The Spartans finished the season ranked No. 7 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll.

Guilday, a former women's lacrosse player at the University of Tampa, graduated in December of 2016. Since graduating from UT, she has coached lacrosse at various levels from youth to college. Most recently, she acted as the Interim Head Coach at Millersville University, where she had previously assisted. Her primary responsibilities at Millersville included being the Defensive Coordinator and Goalie Coach for the Marauders. However, she additionally acted as a team trainer, operations personnel, and recruiting coordinator.

In addition to her role at Millersville University, Guilday was also influential in helping grow the sport of women's lacrosse through NXT Lacrosse Club. At NXT Lacrosse, she served as the camp director and in 2017 was named NXT Coach of the Year.

As a student-athlete, Guilday was the starting goalkeeper and two-time team captain for an upstart Division I Stetson University program. She then transferred to Tampa, where she played the 2015-16 season, earning All-Sunshine State Conference while setting Tampa's single-season record for saves and ground balls. At Stetson, Guilday was named All-Atlantic Sun in 2014 while leading Division I in saves, saves per game, and ground balls per game. She was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week three times in her career. Guilday also received the league's all-academic honors. In 2015-16, as a member of Tampa, she served as chair of the Team IMPACT Leadership Team.

Originally from Wallingford, Pennsylvania, Guilday is excited to be back in Tampa and contribute to a program that she experienced firsthand.

Assistant Coach Samantha PagliaccettiSamantha Pagliaccetti
Assistant Coach

Samantha Pagliaccetti joined the University of Tampa women’s lacrosse staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2024 season.

In year two, Pagliaccetti and Tampa were crowned back-to-back NCAA National Champions after defeating Adelphi, 15-9. Tampa posted a program-best twenty-one-win season and were both the SSC regular season and tournament champions. Pagliaccetti helped mentor six players to IWLCA All-Region and All-SSC honors. The Spartans also had four players selected as All-Americans and had two IWLCA Players of the Year. The Tampa coaching staff was named the IWLCA South Region and National Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season. Pagliaccetti helped guide the Spartans to the sixth-best scoring offense in the nation while also mentoring the IWLCA Attacker and Player of the Year, Peyton Howell.

In her first season as an assistant coach at the University of Tampa, Pagliaccetti was a part of several program firsts. Tampa won its first-ever NCAA title after defeating Adelphi, 13-8, in Winter Park, Fla. Pagliaccetti was influential in helping the team finish the season with an overall record of 19-3, which is the most wins in the history of the program. She also helped guide the Spartans to their second consecutive SSC Tournament Championship and mentored several Tampa players to All-SSC and All-South Region honors. Additionally, UT had four players who garnered All-American status.

She comes to Tampa after serving as the assistant varsity coach/defensive coordinator at Lenape High School. Prior to Lenape, Pagliaccetti was a head coach for South Jersey Select Lacrosse, where she instructed clinics for girls K-12 to help improve their skills and awareness.

A standout scholar-athlete for the Rutgers University women’s lacrosse team, Pagliaccetti was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and was named the 2018 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner. She also served as the team's SAAC representative (2016-2020) and was named captain her senior season.

Pagliaccetti obtained her bachelor's degree in communication, with a minor in labor studies and education, from Rutgers in 2020. She is currently working on obtaining a master's degree in education, with a concentration in elementary education, from Wilmington University.

Assistant Coach Elizabeth GainerElizabeth Gainer
Assistant Coach

Elizabeth Gainer is in her second season as an assistant coach at Tampa, joining the Spartans staff for the 2023 campaign.

Gainer returned to the Philadelphia area in 2019 to lead Eastern University women's lacrosse as the first full-time head coach in program history. She came to Eastern from the University of Charleston (W.V.) and had experience leading Division I and II programs.

In her first season in St. Davids, Gainer had the Eagles off to a strong start before COVID shortened the year. With several key losses because of the year's uncertainty, the short-handed Eagles had a tough run through the 2021 campaign.

Gainer grew up in Moorestown, N.J., playing Division I lacrosse at Loyola College. After stints as an assistant at LaSalle and Villanova, she took over the top job at Holy Family University. She inherited a squad that won seven games the year before and led the Tigers to a pair of CACC Championships and won 27 games in her two seasons.

From Holy Family, she moved to Manhattan College where she led the Division I Jaspers for three seasons. She moved to the University in Charleston to take over a second-year program.