Furman Names Rachel Shuck Whitten Head Lacrosse Coach

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Furman University director of athletics Dr. Gary Clark announced today that Rachel Shuck Whitten, associate head coach at the University of Denver, has been named Furman's first women's lacrosse coach.

Furman, a private, co-educational university of 2,700 students and member of the Southern Conference, announced on Feb. 9 that it would add women's and men's lacrosse to its Division I athletics program. The teams will begin varsity competition by the 2014-15 academic year.

"Rachel Whitten's enthusiasm, experience, and commitment to the growth of lacrosse make her the ideal inaugural head women's lacrosse coach for Furman," said Clark in making the announcement. "We are excited that our program is in such good hands and look forward to Rachel building a highly successful program at Furman."

"I am extremely excited and honored to be named the first head coach of the Furman women's lacrosse program," said Whitten. "I am thankful to President Smolla, Dr. Gary Clark, and associate athletic director Chris Colvin for the opportunity they have presented me, as well as to Liza Kelly and the athletic department at the University of Denver for the past six years I have been part of their staff. I can't wait to create traditions and a legacy for Furman University that have the potential to be there forever. South Carolina is an amazing place to live, and I can't wait to get there and get started."

Whitten, a native of Annapolis, Md., has spent the last six seasons at the University of Denver, serving as an assistant coach from 2007-11 before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2012 season.

During her tenure at Denver, the Pioneers amassed a 71-36 (.664) record, won three Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular season championships, and ranked among the nation's top 20 teams three times.

In 2012 Denver posted a 12-3 record and 6-1 mark against MPSF opponents, leading the nation with 12.6 caused turnovers per game and ranking tenth nationally in scoring offense (13.93 goals per game), while posting the nation's 11th-best scoring margin at 4.2. The team's 12-game winning streak was the longest in Denver women's lacrosse history.

The Pioneers concluded the 2010 season with a 13-5 record and went a perfect 6-0 in league play. Denver advanced to the finals of the MPSF Tournament but was edged by Stanford, 11-10, in double overtime, to finish the season ranked 20th nationally. Pioneers Ali Flury, Natasha Davies, and Lexi Sanders were named to the IWLCA All-West Region second team, while Flury earned All-American accolades.

The 2008 squad also went undefeated in MPSF play, earning a final ranking of 15th nationally. In Whitten's first two seasons at Denver, the Pioneers posted a combined 29-9 record, including a perfect 10-0 slate in regular season league play.

A two-time All-American at Loyola University in Baltimore, Md., Whitten helped the Greyhounds advance to three straight NCAA tournaments from 2002-04, including an appearance in the 2003 Final Four. Loyola ranked among the nation's top five teams her first three seasons, finishing the 2003 campaign as the top-ranked team in the country. Whitten, who remains the school's all-time career leader with 120 assists, was nominated as a junior and senior for the Tewaaraton Award, which is presented annually to the NCAA women's lacrosse player of the year.

A 2004 graduate of Loyola with a bachelor's degree in business administration, she is married to Marty Whitten of Verailles, Mo.

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2012-05-30