Ithaca College Athletics

Kayla Minner joined the Ithaca College coaching staff in July of 2018. She is set to enter her first season as a member of head coach Karrie Moore's coaching staff in 2019.

Minner brings a wealth of experience from the collegiate ranks as both a standout student-athlete and an impressive coaching resume. Most recently, Minner served as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Winthrop for the past two seasons. Serving under Julika Blankenship, Minner helped the program to a 23-16 record in her two years with the program, which included a 14-6 record and appearance in Big South Championship Game this past spring.
 
Minner played a pivotal role in all aspects of Winthrop’s program, which included serving as the program’s offensive coordinator and also work with the team’s goalkeepers. She also was the program’s recruiting coordinator, dealing extensively in scouting and talent evaluation, as well as organizing scholarship reward and academic support. Minner also played roles in developing practice plans and coordinate fundraising opportunities for the program through external events and camps.
 
Minner’s on-field results spoke for themselves, as Winthrop boasted one of the most prolific attacks in NCAA Division I this past spring. The Eagles ranked in the Top-15 nationally for both goals, goals per game, assists and assists per game for the year. Winthrop’s 303 goals and 15.15 goals per game were both the top marks in the Big South during the regular season. During her time at Winthrop, nine players earned All-Big South Conference selection under her coaching tutelage.
 
Prior to her work at Winthrop, Minner continued to serve as an assistant under Blankenship when both coaches worked at Queens College, an NCAA Division II program located in Charlotte, N.C. She spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Queens, helping the program to a 31-8 mark during her time with the program, which included a perfect 16-0 mark in conference play. Highlighting her tenure at the program was the 2016 campaign, which witnessed the program earn its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Royals went on to score its first NCAA Tournament win in a 12-9 win over Minner’s alma-mater Mercyhurst, before ultimately bowing out to Lindenwood in the Quarterfinal Round. While at Queens, she helped coach 17 players to All-South Atlantic Conference honors, while five players went on to be named All-Region honorees.
 
Minner’s introduction to the coaching ranks came during the 2013 season, as she served as a graduate-assistant at NCAA Division II Bloomsburg, which included a brief stint as the program’s interim head coach during the final months of her degree program. She continued to play a role in all facets of the program outlined above, while also heading up the program’s offseason dynamic training regimen and camp schedule. The Huskies went 9-8 during her season with the program, while three team members earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) selection.
 
At the club level, Minner has also played a key role with the Midwestern Force Lacrosse Club over the past five years. In addition to coaching one of the club’s prep teams, she has worked extensively with club founder Lisa Mitchelides in organizing clinics and camps.
 
Prior to beginning her collegiate coaching career, Minner was a standout student-athlete on Mercyhurst’s women’s lacrosse team. She accumulated 136 goals and 55 assists over her collegiate career from 2009-2013. Minner’s efforts on and off the field earned her the head captain title in 2012 and 2013 when she was named to the All-PSAC First Team. She was also an IWLCA Senior All-Star and a member of the IWLCA Division II Academic Honor Squad in 2013.
 
Minner earned her under-graduate degree from Mercyhurst in 2013 after double majoring in early childhood education and special education. She also earned her master’s degree from Bloomsburg in education with a focus on student affairs.

Updated: 07/19/2018