Lauren Chong was named head coach of the IUP women’s lacrosse program in September 2026, bringing coaching experience at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels to the Crimson Hawks.
Chong arrived at IUP following two seasons at Division I Presbyterian College, where she served as associate head coach, offensive coordinator, draw specialist and recruiting coordinator. She was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach in March 2026 while also serving as the department’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee coordinator.
During her tenure at Presbyterian, Chong helped develop four all-conference selections, four Big South Player of the Week honorees and four players who entered the program record book across nine statistical categories. The Blue Hose produced all-conference selections in consecutive seasons in 2025 and 2026 for the first time since 2015.
Under Chong’s direction, Presbyterian made significant strides offensively, improving in seven statistical categories compared with the previous two seasons. The Blue Hose increased assists by 38.9%, wins by 25%, goals by 17.1% and shooting percentage by 15.1%.
Chong also played an integral role in recruiting and player development at Presbyterian, helping the program retain 95% of its student-athletes who were eligible to return during her two seasons. In addition to her on-field responsibilities, she oversaw recruiting and team travel while implementing leadership development and conditioning programs. Chong utilized GPS performance metrics to monitor player workload and recovery and incorporated Hudl and Spiideo into the program’s film analysis.
Prior to Presbyterian, Chong spent three seasons at Division II Lander University from 2021-24. She was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach in October 2023 and served as the Bearcats’ recruiting coordinator, offensive coordinator, draw control specialist and academic success coordinator.
Chong helped coach 18 all-conference selections, three all-region honorees, seven all-tournament selections, a conference Freshman of the Year, two IWLCA Senior All-Stars and 23 conference player of the week selections during her tenure at Lander. The Lander staff was named the 2022 Gulf South Conference Coaching Staff of the Year.
Her work with the Bearcats’ draw unit helped Lander improve its draw control percentage from 39% in 2021 to 55% in 2023, when the Bearcats became the top draw unit in the Gulf South Conference. Lander continued its offensive success in 2024, ranking third nationally in Division II with a .528 shooting percentage.
Chong also helped Lander retain 100% of its student-athletes during her three seasons with the program. As academic success coordinator, she monitored the academic performance of more than 30 student-athletes and developed action plans for those needing additional support. Lander posted a 3.62 team GPA during the 2023-24 academic year.
A former collegiate lacrosse player, Chong was a two-time team captain at Limestone and a four-year member of the program’s leadership council.
Chong earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and sport management with a coaching minor from Limestone in 2020. She earned her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management and leadership from Limestone University in 2021.
