Women's Lacrosse: Bethany names Molly Nuri as women's lacrosse head coach

BETHANY, W.Va. – Bethany College has named Molly Nuri as head coach of the women's lacrosse program, Director of Athletics Brian Sansom announced on Tuesday (July 25).

"We are very excited to see the women's lacrosse program grow under Molly's leadership," says Sansom. "She brings passion, energy, and dedication that aligns with our vision for the program and department, which allowed her to stand out throughout the interview process. The future is bright for the program under her leadership."

"I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to coach women's lacrosse at Bethany! It's hard for me to believe that lacrosse has been a focal point in my life for twenty years now," says Nuri. "And the most important thing that I've learned along the way is that it's bigger than lacrosse. As a life-long athlete, I've learned firsthand that athletics is about more than competition. It's more than conditioning, stick skills, and footwork. This is about teaching student-athletes discipline, execution, grit, resilience, and tenacity; all qualities that will ensure success when they enter life beyond college."

Nuri comes to Bethany after spending the 2023 season as the head girl's lacrosse coach at Oakland Catholic High School in Pittsburgh. Prior to Oakland Catholic, she spent the 2022 season as the assistant coach at Canon-McMillan for the girls' basketball team.

"I love that I get the chance to return to the PAC Conference," adds Nuri. "It's been exciting to watch the conference grow over the last ten years. It's a great testament to the sport of lacrosse and how it's expanding across the country! I can't wait to get to know the other teams and to play some really excellent lacrosse!"

As a former Presidents' Athletic Conference champion and Player of the Year, Nuri brings a plethora of experience to the Bison program. As a 2015 graduate of Saint Vincent, Nuri was a four-year standout for the women's lacrosse program. She ranks first in career assists (136) and second in program history for career points (241). Known for setting her teammates up on the offense end, she also tallied 105 goals during her career, which ranks as the sixth most in program history. She racked up 110 ground balls, 68 draw controls, and 23 caused turnovers during her four-year stint as a player.

Nuri helped the Bearcats to back-to-back conference championships in 2014 and 2015.

After graduation, Nuri remained with the Bearcats as a graduate assistant for two seasons while also serving as an assistant coach for the tennis team. In 2017, Nuri helped guide the Bearcats back to the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC) Championship before falling to Washington & Jefferson. In 2018, the Bearcats finished 12-4 (9-2 ORLC) before falling to W&J in the first round of the conference tournament.

Nuri has coaching experience at all levels of women's lacrosse. In 2016, she served as the head coach for the Pittsburgh True and after earning her master's degree from Saint Vincent, she was a junior varsity coach for Upper St. Clair before heading to Oakland Catholic.

"People that have helped me along the way: My parents Jeff and Jaclyn Snyder, my middle school coach Sam Shannon, my high school coach Brian Kattan, and my college coach Jym Walters. All of these people have made me into the player, coach, and person that I am today," adds Nuri. "Each one has always emphasized that more than anything, I need to love the game. I'm really fortunate that it's always been fun and that I've never felt driven or pressured to view lacrosse in any light other than something that brings me joy. And now I am so grateful for this opportunity to give back and help others find joy in the game!"

The Pittsburgh native earned her bachelor's degree in English with a certification in secondary education (7-12) in 2015, and in 2018, Nuri earned her master's degree in counselor education (K-12) from Saint Vincent College.