Melissa Rausch was named Austin Peay State University's first head women's lacrosse coach on June 25, 2024.
Rausch spent the past five seasons at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), beginning as an assistant coach in 2020 before being named head coach prior to the 2022 season. Before her time in Colorado Springs, Rausch began her collegiate coaching career at Nichols College, where she served as the assistant director of athletics, head women's lacrosse coach, and assistant men's lacrosse coach.
Prior to her move into collegiate athletics, Rausch was the Girl's National Director for 3D Lacrosse. She also worked at the high school level for six years as a boy's and girl's head lacrosse coach, as well as coaching field hockey.
In her final season at UCCS, Rausch led the Mountain Lions to a 7-9 overall record with a 5-5 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. In her two seasons at the helm of UCCS, Rausch led the program to 22 wins and three straight trips to the RMAC Women's Lacrosse Championship.
In just three seasons, Rausch helped 14 players earn First or Second Team All-RMAC recognition after the program had earned just one all-conference honor in its first five seasons. During the 2024 season, freshman Sarah Urbanic was named the RMAC Freshman of the Year after ranking second on the team and 10th in the conference with 25 goals.
Senior Julia Patrick also earned First Team All-RMAC honors in 2024 after leading the Mountain Lions in goals (46), points (56), and game-winning goals (2). Patrick ranked third in the RMAC in goals per game (2.88), third in shots per game (5.63), and fourth in points per game (3.50). Patrick also was a First Team All-RMAC selection in 2023 after earning Second Team All-RMAC in Rasuch's first season at the helm in 2022.
Goalkeeper Madison McGriff also earned RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023 while picking up First Team All-RMAC honors in each of those seasons. McGriff was a USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America Honorable Mention in 2023 after setting the UCCS single-season records for saves (200) and saves per game (11.8).
Rausch's team also was successful off the field at UCCS, with six student-athletes earning RMAC All-Academic First Team honors and 35 more earning RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll recognition. In addition, McGriff was named the RMAC Academic Player of the Year in 2022 and earned Third Team CSC Academic All-America honors in 2023. A total of three Mountain Lions earned CSC Academic All-District honors during Rausch's tenure.
Before her time at UCCS, Rausch served as head women's lacrosse coach at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, where she has the third-most wins by a head coach in the program's 24-year history. Rausch coached two women's lacrosse players to All-Commonwealth Coast Conference honors, and another 20 student-athletes earned CCC Academic All-Conference honors during her time at Nichols College.
Rausch also served as an assistant coach for the men's lacrosse program at Nichols College and led the Bison to a pair of CCC Tournament appearances. She also served as assistant director of athletics at Nichols College, where she ran day-to-day operations for the athletic department's transportation, marketing, and sports information departments.
Before her collegiate coaching career, Rausch oversaw all girl's operations for 3D Lacrosse, the largest lacrosse recruiting and training company in the United States. Rausch began her prep coaching career as the head girl's lacrosse coach at Rampart High School (2011-15), before serving as the co-head boy's lacrosse coach at Pine Creek High School (2015-17) and the head girl's lacrosse coach at Kent Denver School (2015-17). Before coaching at the high school level, Rausch was the director of operations and lacrosse coach for Team 180 Sports in Denver for nearly two years.
A native of Sterling, Massachusetts, Rausch earned her bachelor's in business administration from Elmira College in 2000. A dual-sport student-athlete, Rausch competed in lacrosse and field hockey for the Soaring Eagles.
Rausch's Coaching History
June 25, 2024, Named Austin Peay's First Women's Lacrosse Head Coach
2022-24, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Head Coach
2020-21, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Assistant Coach
2017-19, Nichols College, Head Coach (WLAX) / Assistant Coach (MLAX)
