Sam Keary Accepts New Role as First Full-Time Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach

Sam Keary photo with WLAX gear

A devoted Bulldog for many years, Sam Keary has stepped into the full-time role of Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach following a two-year stint as the program's graduate assistant.  Earlier this summer, Keary completed her Master of Arts in Educational Administration and immediately began her new duties on August 13.

"Bulldog Athletics is where it all began for me, and I am grateful to stay on board as the full-time assistant.  I am excited to share my love for the game, mentor our talented student-athletes, and help them strive for success this season!" commented Keary.

Keary's responsibilities include serving as the team's defensive coordinator, spearheading the recruiting efforts, and managing the team's academic success program and their social media accounts. Outside of coaching, Keary brings a team-first mentality to every aspect of the athletic department. Her additional duties include photography and game management. 

In November 2017, Keary was recognized as the 2017 IWLCA Assistant Coach of the Year.

"I am ecstatic to have Sam stay on with our lacrosse program.  Her work ethic and dedication are unmatched, as they were when she was a two-sport, standout student-athlete," Head Coach Suzette Soboti stated.  "Sam brings intensity and much-needed consistency.  I believe this move to a full-time assistant coach will help bring this program to its peak, and Sam will have a huge role in this goal."

A Southern California native, Keary was born in Laguna Hills, grew up in Mission Viejo, and now resides in Redlands. She attended the U of R as an undergraduate and earned a degree in Psychology while also obtaining her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.

As a student-athlete, Keary was a key contributor to the women's soccer and lacrosse programs as a four-year starter.

For soccer, she became a three-time member of the All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) First Team while also earning All-West Region honors on two occasions.  In 2015, Keary helped lead the Bulldogs to the program's fifth SCIAC Championship and the first since 2008.  In 2014, she was part of the team that earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships with an impressive run through the SCIAC Postseason Tournament.

In lacrosse, Keary's success was similar, as Redlands captured a pair of conference titles during her tenure. In addition, the Bulldogs advanced to the third round of the 2014 NCAA Championships, resulting in the best postseason showing in program history. Individually, she collected back-to-back First-Team All-SCIAC awards and a pair of All-Region awards to finish out her career.

Not only was Keary an exemplary athlete but she was an impressive student as well.  This four-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete also landed on the SCIAC All-Academic Team for soccer and lacrosse.  A repeat Dean's List member, she earned a spot on the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll as a senior. Due to her contributions on the field and successes in the classroom, it came as no surprise that Keary was named the Frank Serrao Senior Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the University of Redlands upon conclusion of her illustrious career.

Keary fills one of multiple positions in Bulldog Athletics that transitioned from graduate assistant to full-time assistant.