University of Hartford Head Coach
Meg Decker was hired as the first head coach in Hartford Women’s Lacrosse history in August 2016. Decker joined the Hawks after helping to build the Virginia Commonwealth women’s lacrosse program from scratch as an assistant coach and being a player on the inaugural women’s lacrosse team at the United States Naval Academy.
The Hawks announced the addition of women’s lacrosse as a varsity sport in October 2015 with the program set to begin competition during the 2017-18 school year. The Hawks will be the eighth of the nine America East schools to sponsor women’s lacrosse, with Maine the only conference member without the sport.
Decker spent two years as an assistant to VCU Head Coach Jen O’Brien, assisting with the building of the program from her hiring in 2014 and helping to coach the team in its first season as a varsity program in 2016. In this role, she simultaneously recruited three different recruiting classes, blended recruited student-athletes with existing club team players, and fundraised and marketed for the newly-founded program.
The Rams were ranked highest among the five first-year Division I programs in 2016 and team members earned two Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors and one A-10 Player of the Week laurel. The program won its inaugural game, 21-9 over Gardner-Webb and later earned a conference victory over St. Bonaventure.
Decker has also amassed coaching experience by serving as the head coach of Flash Club Women’s Lacrosse in Tustin, Calif., and as the director of the Whirlwind Lacrosse Tournament in Newport Beach, Calif. She has also been an individual instructor, coaching midfielders and draw specialists nationally.
The native of Catonsville, Md., had a standout playing career, spending two years at Navy (2008-09) and two at Loyola (2010-11). At the college level, she was an All-American in her debut season, finishing sixth in the nation in goals per game and 10th in the nation in draw controls. She was named LaxPower.com National Rookie of the Year that campaign. In total, Decker scored 113 goals and collected 154 draw controls as a collegian. She helped lead Loyola to a Big East championship in her final season and to a school-record 17 wins and an NCAA Quarterfinal appearance.
A two-time All-Big East selection, Decker was invited to the U.S. Lacrosse National Pool Tryouts in 2015. In May of 2016 she was selected in the inaugural United Women’s Lacrosse League Draft by the Philadelphia Force.