TicketsCINCINNATI -- University of Cincinnati lacrosse head coach Gina Thomas has announced the hiring of Haley Hardy and Jamie Redding as assistant coaches.
"I am pumped to have Haley and Jamie join our staff!" Thomas said. "To bring in two coaches with quality experience at the Division I level speaks volumes of what we are building here at Cincinnati. Their reputation speaks volumes, but their character is even louder. I'm really excited to get after it with them and our team."
Hardy (formerly Marvine), a member of the Bearcats' first lacrosse team and a letterwinner from 2008-11, returns to the Queen City as the defensive coordinator by way of a successful head coaching stint at Radford.
"It is truly a dream come to true to be back at the University of Cincinnati as an assistant lacrosse coach. I am grateful and excited to work under Coach Thomas, she has grown this program so well over the past 9 years and I am thrilled to be part of UC Lacrosse's next chapter. Being a Bearcat student-athlete changed my life and shaped my future, I am thrilled to be back home."
Hardy will monitor the defense and goalkeepers in her new role. She was announced as Radford's first-ever head coach in October 2014. Hardy has coached 14 Big South All-Conference selections as well as six All-Academic honorees including the 2020 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 2021 Freshman of the Year (the program's first). The Highlanders have had 11 student-athletes recognized by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association and named an IWLCA Academic Squad in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The 2021 Highlanders ended the year winning six of their last nine games and were runners-up in the Big South Conference Tournament. Radford finished the regular season standings in third place, the highest of Hardy's tenure, and went to earn the program's first win in postseason play with a 15-14 victory over No. 2 Campbell. It was the program's first win over Campbell.
As a student-athlete, Hardy was a standout goalkeeper and team captain before earning her degree in sports management from UC in 2011.
Redding, who will serve as the offensive coordinator, spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Niagara, as well as three with Holy Cross. This past spring, the Purple Eagles set a program record in goals-per-game and had the second-best winning percentage in school history. Redding was also coached MAAC Rookie of the Year Rachel Crane and a first-team all-conference attacker in Shea Swartwout.
In that stint with the Crusaders, she assumed head responsibilities while the head coach was on maternity leave in Fall 2018. She also assisted in player development, primarily on the attacking side of the ball and was involved in all operational tasks, including practice planning, film breakdown, scout generation, scheduling, camps and clinics, equipment, and recruiting. In addition, she also ran the program's Marketing Committee and Community Service Committee. Redding also helped develop two-time All-Patriot League attacker Keely Connors.
"I am excited for this opportunity to join the Cincinnati Lacrosse family. Thank you to Gina and my former boss, Wendy Stone, for their help in this process. I'm eager to start working with the team and raise the program to new heights."
Redding was a standout lacrosse player at Louisville where she was a member of the 2014 Big East Championship team. The 2014 Cardinals made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. As a senior, Redding earned First-Team All-Big East honors and was an IWLCA North-South Senior All-Star. She finished her career at Louisville with 44 goals and 44 assists in 67 games.
While at Louisville she excelled academically, qualifying for the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll twice. She was named to the Big East All-Academic team all four years, earned Louisville Athletic Honor Roll accolades, and graduated Magna Cum Laude as a Dean's Scholar and Red and Black Scholar.
Redding graduated in 2013 from Louisville with a degree in Exercise Science. She then pursued a master's degree in Exercise Science from Louisville and graduated in 2015. She became the head coach of the varsity lacrosse team at Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky. The team had a top-five state finish and were 2015 Kentucky State semifinalists.
"I am pumped to have Haley and Jamie join our staff!" Thomas said. "To bring in two coaches with quality experience at the Division I level speaks volumes of what we are building here at Cincinnati. Their reputation speaks volumes, but their character is even louder. I'm really excited to get after it with them and our team."
Hardy (formerly Marvine), a member of the Bearcats' first lacrosse team and a letterwinner from 2008-11, returns to the Queen City as the defensive coordinator by way of a successful head coaching stint at Radford.
"It is truly a dream come to true to be back at the University of Cincinnati as an assistant lacrosse coach. I am grateful and excited to work under Coach Thomas, she has grown this program so well over the past 9 years and I am thrilled to be part of UC Lacrosse's next chapter. Being a Bearcat student-athlete changed my life and shaped my future, I am thrilled to be back home."
Hardy will monitor the defense and goalkeepers in her new role. She was announced as Radford's first-ever head coach in October 2014. Hardy has coached 14 Big South All-Conference selections as well as six All-Academic honorees including the 2020 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 2021 Freshman of the Year (the program's first). The Highlanders have had 11 student-athletes recognized by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association and named an IWLCA Academic Squad in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The 2021 Highlanders ended the year winning six of their last nine games and were runners-up in the Big South Conference Tournament. Radford finished the regular season standings in third place, the highest of Hardy's tenure, and went to earn the program's first win in postseason play with a 15-14 victory over No. 2 Campbell. It was the program's first win over Campbell.
As a student-athlete, Hardy was a standout goalkeeper and team captain before earning her degree in sports management from UC in 2011.
Redding, who will serve as the offensive coordinator, spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Niagara, as well as three with Holy Cross. This past spring, the Purple Eagles set a program record in goals-per-game and had the second-best winning percentage in school history. Redding was also coached MAAC Rookie of the Year Rachel Crane and a first-team all-conference attacker in Shea Swartwout.
In that stint with the Crusaders, she assumed head responsibilities while the head coach was on maternity leave in Fall 2018. She also assisted in player development, primarily on the attacking side of the ball and was involved in all operational tasks, including practice planning, film breakdown, scout generation, scheduling, camps and clinics, equipment, and recruiting. In addition, she also ran the program's Marketing Committee and Community Service Committee. Redding also helped develop two-time All-Patriot League attacker Keely Connors.
"I am excited for this opportunity to join the Cincinnati Lacrosse family. Thank you to Gina and my former boss, Wendy Stone, for their help in this process. I'm eager to start working with the team and raise the program to new heights."
Redding was a standout lacrosse player at Louisville where she was a member of the 2014 Big East Championship team. The 2014 Cardinals made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. As a senior, Redding earned First-Team All-Big East honors and was an IWLCA North-South Senior All-Star. She finished her career at Louisville with 44 goals and 44 assists in 67 games.
While at Louisville she excelled academically, qualifying for the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll twice. She was named to the Big East All-Academic team all four years, earned Louisville Athletic Honor Roll accolades, and graduated Magna Cum Laude as a Dean's Scholar and Red and Black Scholar.
Redding graduated in 2013 from Louisville with a degree in Exercise Science. She then pursued a master's degree in Exercise Science from Louisville and graduated in 2015. She became the head coach of the varsity lacrosse team at Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky. The team had a top-five state finish and were 2015 Kentucky State semifinalists.