From Newark to the National Semifinals: The Liza Kelly Story

If you're looking for a definition for Blue Hen Built, you will probably find a photo of University of Denver women's lacrosse head coach Liza Kelly in the dictionary.

Kelly, who has been at Denver since 2007, spent her days as a Blue Hen playing for the squad from 1995-98 before joining the US National Team from 1998-01. She was inducted into the Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 as a three-time All-American.

No matter how far removed she is from her time at Delaware or how much success she accumulates as a coach, she will always look back fondly on her time as a Blue Hen.

"I loved every second of my time [at Delaware]," Kelly said. "I had great coaches. Denise Wescott recruited me and coached me all four years, and I consider myself very lucky to have her as a mentor in my own life. I loved the culture of not just our team, but all the athletics programs. We were a tight-knit athletic community."

Kelly links her positive experience at Delaware to the same culture she fosters at Denver.

"I've always wanted to give my students the same experience that I had," she said. "I've made sure that they are cared for not just as players but as people. That's something I felt from Denise, I always knew she had my best interest in mind even though she wanted us to be successful as a team."

As she moved into the coaching ranks, Kelly found similar success. She was an assistant coach at Towson before spending five years at Boston University, where she compiled a 66-33 (.660) record.

Ever since being named head coach at Denver in 2007, Kelly has continued that level of success. Her squads have won an average of nearly 14 games per season since 2007, recording just one season below .500 in that timeframe.

Finding consistency with different teams over a long period of time can be tough, but Kelly has found a way to do so.

"Consistency comes from always playing hard and gritty and always putting the team first," Kelly said. "As a coach, you have to recognize that these student-athletes have a lot going on and that balance is important."

During the 2023 season, Kelly's coaching success reached its apex. The Pioneers went undefeated in the regular season and conference tournament before knocking off USC, Albany and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament, earning a date in the national semifinals.

Despite the eventual loss, it is an experience that she won't soon forget.

"It was such an important moment for midwestern lacrosse, because if we could do it, someone else could do it," she said. "The message was also really clear for our team, because they opened the door for future teams to understand that it is a possibility to dream big and achieve it."

The hardest thing to do with a season of that caliber is to repeat it.

"Even being in the middle of being undefeated, I don't think I really understood what was going on, because that is the goal for every team out there," Kelly said. "For next year's team, they're different, they're going to have different chemistry and different strengths and weaknesses. While the goal of winning a national championship remains the same, you have to understand their path to get there could be different, and that's okay."

While the success has come in droves for Kelly, she will always have fond memories of her time as a Blue Hen.

University of Delaware Athletics

From Newark to the National Semifinals: The Liza Kelly Story

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