Longtime UVA Assistant Colleen Shearer Joins Staff as Volunteer Assistant

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Head Coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe announced the addition of longtime Division I assistant Colleen Shearer to the James Madison lacrosse staff as a volunteer assistant coach.

Shearer comes to Harrisonburg possessing more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience, including 19 at the University of Virginia. Most recently, she spent the 2017 season as head coach at Bridgewater College.

"We're so honored to welcome Colleen to our program and family," Klaes-Bawcombe said. "She brings 19 years of experience competing and coaching at the highest level in our sport. She is a passionate and fiery coach who knows our program well, having competed against JMU every year she was at Virginia. I am excited she wants to share her insight with the Dukes and help our program as we continue to strive for a national championship in 2018."

"I'm extremely excited to work with Shelley and her staff at James Madison," Shearer said. "I have always had such great respect for the passion and competitiveness that characterizes JMU lacrosse. Winning a national championship is the ultimate goal, and I look forward to helping in any way that I can."

In her lone season with the Eagles, she led BC to a 10-7 overall record and 4-4 mark in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play to advance to the conference tournament for the second straight season. Four Eagles earned All-ODAC honors, including First Team All-ODAC goalkeeper Rachel Gruber.

Prior to her stint at Bridgewater, Shearer spent 19 seasons on the U.Va. staff as Associate Head Coach, working primarily with the attack and developing offensive schemes that have been an integral part of the Cavaliers' success.

She helped guide the team to the NCAA Championship in each season, which included the Cavs winning the 2004 national title. Virginia also reached the title game in 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 and won five Atlantic Coast Conference championships. Shearer was also named IWLCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2010.

During her time in Charlottesville, she coached 63 All-Americans, four Academic All-Americans, six Tewaaraton Trophy finalists, including one winner, and five national player of the year selections.

Shearer was the first-ever head coach at Wagner College in 1996, leading the program to an 8-8 record in the team's second season in 1997 prior to joining Virginia's staff. Additionally, she was the general manager for the Baltimore Ride – a founding member of the United Women's Lacrosse League – in 2016.

A former member of the US National Developmental Team, she was a three-time All-American at Rowan and was team captain as a senior. She led the Profs to the 1995 NCAA Championship, marking their first appearance in the tournament. Shearer led the nation in assists in both 1994 and 1995 and finished her collegiate career ranked fourth all-time in assists. She also holds two of the top eight single-season point totals in NCAA history.

Shearer lives in Crozet with her husband, Matt, and daughter, Mattison Elizabeth.

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