Mindy McCord was the right coach to build USF's lacrosse program on and off the field

When former USF Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly was trying to launch a women's lacrosse program, he focused on Jacksonville University coach Mindy McCord.

Her teams won a lot -- 21 combined regular-season and conference tournament championships. She was the conference coach of the year eight times. She recruited and developed 13 All-Americans and 26 All-Region selections. And she also launched the program at Jacksonville, so that experience would be helpful in starting one at USF.

But Kelly noticed there was something more than just stringing wins together and collecting trophies.

"She cares so deeply for her players and has such a passion for the growth of the sport," he told Green, Gold and Bold.

It that trait of caring for each person associated with the program -- that includes the mommas, daddies, and grandparents too -- that is most often associated with McCord. Her players say she prepares them to do more than play a sport they love. She is a role model for how to represent themselves in sports and in life.

And as she leads the Bulls into the opening round of the American Conference Tournament on Thursday against Temple at 5:30 p.m., it is remarkable how this all came together in just the second season since the program was launched.

"She is a proven winner that not only develops talent, but finds a way to create a deeply connected team.  I was also intrigued by her unique style of play and how she strategically uses that to the program's advantage," Kelly said.

"She and I shared a vision to build a Women's lacrosse powerhouse at USF and I am pleased to see here already making that vision a reality."

McCord stayed at Jacksonville for 11 years before taking Kelly up on his offer. She fele that she experienced at the small university in north Florida could be greatly magnified at a school the size of USF.

“We were like, ‘Why does this have to be like how other lacrosse programs are?’” McCord told USA Lacrosse..

“When you do something new, you get to create your own traditions. You get to do it the way you want. We went to these basketball and football games and asked, ‘Why can’t they be a part of this energy for lacrosse?’ We wanted the whole community to be part of this.”

It's no coincidence that USF ranks among the national leaders in attendance for women's lacrosse.

The Bulls play a fast-break style patterned after the relentless basketball offense employed by Paul Westhead at Loyola Marymount in the late 1980s. As a result, USF ranks 19th nationally in scoring offense. They average more than 14 goals per game.

And the Bulls' RPI rating has risen to Ns. 14, the highest in the program's short history.

After advancing to the American Conference championship game in their inaugural season, the Bulls were picked to finish second in the preseason conference poll. Insteadm they rolled through the season undefeated (6-0) in league play. Included was a win over defending conference champion James Madison on March 21.

It's possible there could be a rematch in the conference finals, but first things first. The Bulls attention is squarely on Temple.

All of this has further validated Kelly's vision to start a women's lacrosse team. He saw the numbers about the increasing popularity of lacrosse. He saw a space with less competition compared to more crowded sports, allowing USF to build a unique and successful program.

And it was the perfect compliment for the "Stampede For Women" initiative USF launched in 2021 to support and increase opportunities for USF female athletes.

All it needed was the right person at the helm. That person is Mindy McCord.

"I am delighted, but not surprised, by the rapid success of the USF women's lacrosse program under her leadership," Kelly said. "To go to the conference title game in an inaugural year and then to win the regular season outright in a second year is nothing short of remarkable."

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