Williamsburg - William and Mary head coach Christine Halfpenny has announced the hiring of 2003 graduate Allison Evans as an assistant coach, pending approval by the Board of Visitors. Evans, a former all-conference midfielder and member of the U.S. National team, was named the top assistant for the Tribe program, replacing 2001 grad Tara Hannaford, who was named the head coach at George Washington in August.

"I am excited to welcome Allison back to W&M to begin her coaching career," said Halfpenny. "Allison is a very bright, energetic, and hard working coach."

In the summer of 2006, Evans was named to the United States Elite Team. The 24-player Elite team is comprised of individuals who demonstrate their exceptional abilities as lacrosse players with regards to skill, but also through leadership and sportsmanship.

At the College, Evans was a two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association selection (2002, 2003) and a team captain during her senior season. Evans recorded 116 career points on 85 goals and 31 assists for the Tribe.

"With Allison's playing experience at W&M and with the U.S. Elite team, she knows what it takes to compete at the highest level," Halfpenny added. "I am excited to see that knowledge passed on to our players and I am confident she will help take our program to new heights."

As a junior in 2002, Evans was a second-team all-conference selection after sharing the team-lead with a career-best 52 points on 33 goals and 19 assists. At the time, Evans' total of 19 assists was the 10th-best single-season mark in school history. She added a team-best 41 draw controls, which ranked fourth in the CAA, and also finished in the league's top-10 with 22 caused turnovers.

In her senior campaign, Evans once again shared the team lead with 43 points on a career-best 34 goals and nine assists. Evans also recorded career marks in ground balls (41) and caused turnovers (28) as a senior to once again earn second-team all-league honors. In the final game of her career, Evans scored six goals and added two assists for eight points in an 18-10 victory over Towson.

"I can't express how exciting it is to have the opportunity to return to William and Mary as an assistant coach," said Evans. "This program has a strong tradition of academic distinction and athletic excellence, and I'm happy to be a part of it once again."

Evans' position with the College will be her first coaching job in the college ranks. Before joining the program, she worked as a financial analyst for JPI, a real estate developer in McLean, Virginia, and an asset analyst for the Mills Corporation in Chevy Chase, Maryland. After graduating from W&M in 2003, Evans served as the lacrosse coach at St. Mary's School in England for a year.

A native of Annandale, Virginia, Evans graduated from W&M with a degree in psychology.

2007-11-15