Shannon McHale

  • M.S., Exercise and Sport Sciences (Sport Psychology), Ithaca College
  • B.S., Physical Education, SUNY Brockport

Shannon McHale joined LR as head women’s lacrosse coach in 2024, bringing 27 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. She most recently served as head coach at Colorado Mesa University, where she led the Mavericks to a 31-17 record over three seasons and guided the team to a share of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship and its first-ever RMAC Tournament title.

During her time at Colorado Mesa, McHale coached the program’s third IWLCA All-American and led the team to back-to-back second-place conference finishes and a league-best 9-1 RMAC record in her final season. Under her leadership, CMU earned multiple individual honors, including RMAC Midfielder, Defender, and Freshman of the Year awards in 2022.

Prior to her tenure at Colorado Mesa, McHale served as assistant coach at Florida Southern College from 2018-2020, helping lead the program to an NCAA Division II national runner-up finish. During her three seasons there, the Mocs produced six IWLCA All-Americans and won 18 straight games en route to the national title game.

McHale also spent two decades as a head coach at the Division III level with SUNY Potsdam, St. John Fisher College and Ithaca College. At St. John Fisher, she earned Empire 8 Coach of the Year honors three times and led the program to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including its first postseason win in 2009. Over a 10-year period, she tallied 98 wins with the Cardinals. At Ithaca, she compiled a 48-24 record over four seasons, earned two more Empire 8 Coach of the Year honors, and led the team to its most successful season since 2003.

As a student athlete at SUNY, Brockport, McHale was a standout soccer player, earning first-team all-state honors and SUNYAC West Division Player of the Year in 1990. She was inducted into the Brockport Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.

In addition to her collegiate coaching career, McHale serves on the IWLCA Division II Board of Directors and the NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse National Committee, where she is chair of the Midwest Region. She also served as an assistant coach for the Swiss National Team at the World Lacrosse Championship in 2023.