Karin Brower, the Lois S. Leitner Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at the University of Pennsylvania, has announced the addition of Ally Deaver to the Penn Quakers women’s lacrosse staff. Deaver will serve as an assistant coach and director of operations.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ally to our staff,” said Brower. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and tremendous experience, having worked alongside alumna Melissa Lehman at Rutgers, focusing on goalkeeping, defense, and building strong player relationships. Ally’s infectious passion for the game—and for Philadelphia—makes her a perfect fit for Penn women’s lacrosse. We know she’ll embrace the grit, fight, and pride we bring to the field every day!”
Deaver joins Penn after seven seasons as an assistant coach at Rutgers University, where she was defensive coordinator for the Scarlet Knights. During her tenure there, Meghan Ball received multiple honors including Big Ten and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the University of Pennsylvania women’s lacrosse family as an assistant coach,” Deaver said. “This program’s tradition, passion, and commitment to excellence are truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to get to work with such an incredible staff and driven group of student-athletes. Let’s make something special happen. Go Quakers!”
While at Rutgers from 2021 through 2024, Deaver helped guide the team to four consecutive Big Ten semifinal appearances. In 2022, Rutgers set a program record with 16 victories and finished #10 in the final IWLCA Coaches poll—the highest in its history. That season included six wins over ranked opponents and a victory against #4 Northwestern that sent Rutgers into its first Big Ten Tournament final.
Before joining Rutgers, Deaver was an assistant coach at La Salle from 2017-19 where she coordinated defense and served as social media and recruiting coordinator.
Deaver is originally from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania. She played collegiate lacrosse at Penn State from 2013-16 and captained her senior year squad to an NCAA Final Four appearance in 2016. She also contributed to a Big Ten Championship win in 2015.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from Penn State (2016) and a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication from La Salle (2020).
