University Southern California Trojans
Sam Apuzzo Named USC Lacrosse Head Coach
June 17, 2026 | Women's Lacrosse
The decorated Tewaaraton Award winner becomes the second head coach in school history
LOS ANGELES – USC has hired Sam Apuzzo to the position of lacrosse head coach, Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics Jennifer Cohen announced on Wednesday, June 17.
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"As we initiated the search for our next lacrosse head coach, we wanted a leader with a championship pedigree who could build relationships and create a strong culture to compete for championships," said Cohen. "Sam Apuzzo is a proven winner. As an incredibly decorated player and a rising star in the coaching ranks, we believe Sam's arrival at USC will mark the beginning of great things for the Women of Troy."
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"I am incredibly honored and excited to be joining the Trojan Family," said Apuzzo. "I want to thank the leadership at USC for the opportunity to lead one of the premier programs in college athletics. USC is a truly special place with a rich tradition of academic and athletic excellence, and I can't wait to get to work with our student-athletes. Together, we will build a championship culture. Fight On!"
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Apuzzo—a Tewaaraton Award winner and World Champion—accepts her first appointment as a collegiate head coach. She previously served as an assistant coach at her alma mater Boston College for six seasons (2021-26) and was a graduate assistant for the Eagles in 2020.
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While on staff at BC, Apuzzo led one of the top scoring offenses and draw units in the nation. The Eagles were 105-25 (.808) during her tenure in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where she helped coach Charlotte North—a two-time Tewaaraton Award winner—and Jenn Medjid, a Tewaaraton Award finalist. Apuzzo was on staff and helped lead the Eagles to four consecutive NCAA championship games. Boston College won national titles in 2021 and 2024 and was the national runner-up in 2022 and 2023.
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As a student-athlete, Apuzzo helped lead Boston College to three consecutive national championship appearances and back-to-back undefeated regular seasons as a junior and a senior. She established BC's program records for career points (390), goals (278), and draw controls (444), and tied with teammate Kenzie Kent for the fewest games needed to reach 100 career points (25).
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Apuzzo became the first player from Boston College to win the prestigious Tewaaraton Award in 2018 and was a three-time nominee (2017, '18, '19) and a two-time finalist (2018, '19). Apuzzo also won the Honda Award for Lacrosse in 2018 and was a finalist in 2019. She was a three-time IWLCA All-America first-team selection (2017, '18, '19), a two-time IWLCA Attacker of the Year (2018, '19), a two-time Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American (2018, '19), a three-time NCAA all-tournament team member (2017, '18, '19), a three-time All-ACC first-team selection (2017, '18, '19), a three-time All-ACC Tournament Team selection (2017, '18, '19) and the ACC's Attacker of the Year in back-to-back years (2018, '19).
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Apuzzo holds two degrees from Boston College. She received her bachelor's degree in 2019 and completed a master's degree in 2021. On the field, Apuzzo is an active member of Team USA. She helped the U.S. win gold medals in 2022 at the World Championship and won gold in 2025 at the World Games with the U.S. National Sixes Team.
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The Trojans (8-9 overall, 1-7 Big Ten) finished the regular season eighth in the Big Ten standings and did not advance to the conference tournament. USC earned four home wins in the new Rawlinson Stadium including a 9-8 victory over a 24th-ranked Brown (Feb. 15). The Trojans also collected four wins on the road, which included a 15-10 decision at Oregon to conclude the season. USC had one of the toughest schedules in the nation and faced eight ranked opponents including three in a row ranked in the top 10.
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For more information on the USC lacrosse team, please visit USCTrojans.com/lax. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCTrojansLax on X and Instagram.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT SAM APUZZO
"I am beyond proud of Sam for taking this next step in her journey. Moving across the country to build her own legacy at USC is an incredible milestone and we are so proud of her. Sam is a lacrosse icon, an exceptional role model, and a truly incredible human being. We will miss her every single day at Boston College. For over a decade, she poured her heart into this program, leaving an undeniable mark on everything we do. As a program, we would not be where we are today without her and I personally would not be the coach or person I am without Sam by my side. She is family to me and I cannot wait to watch her professional career explode as a head coach."
   -- Acacia Walker-Weinstein, Boston College Schiller Family Head Coach for Women's Lacrosse
"There is absolutely no one better to take on this role than Sam Apuzzo. I started off, along with the rest of the lacrosse world, as simply a fan of Sam Apuzzo. I idolized and dreamt about replicating all of the details about her game. I then joined the group of people who were not only lucky enough to be coached by her but also got to play alongside of her. Sam's unmatched work ethic, fierce drive, and ability to win is what differentiates her from the competition. I've had the privilege of training with Sam every day and her passion and dedication to her team's success is infectious. There is no doubt in my mind that this program will find success with the foundation being built upon Sam's standards. She embodies a winning mindset in every part of her life. Not everyone is lucky enough to be coached by Sam, and I envy each of her new players and staff members who will live inspired by her each day."
  -- Charlotte North, two-time Tewaaraton Award winner and ESPN lacrosse analyst
"Sam has stayed at the pinnacle of the player pool since graduating college. That takes a true student of the sport and is what makes an elite competitor. As someone who has played against her, she's the type of player you want on your team because she's incredibly skilled and always seems to deliver in big moments. What has always stood out to me though, is how she competes: with professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for the game. I have no doubt that she'll build a USC program that develops not only highly talented players, but also great teammates, leaders, and competitors."
  -- Erin Bakes, USC midfielder (2019-21) and WLL pro athlete
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"As we initiated the search for our next lacrosse head coach, we wanted a leader with a championship pedigree who could build relationships and create a strong culture to compete for championships," said Cohen. "Sam Apuzzo is a proven winner. As an incredibly decorated player and a rising star in the coaching ranks, we believe Sam's arrival at USC will mark the beginning of great things for the Women of Troy."
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"I am incredibly honored and excited to be joining the Trojan Family," said Apuzzo. "I want to thank the leadership at USC for the opportunity to lead one of the premier programs in college athletics. USC is a truly special place with a rich tradition of academic and athletic excellence, and I can't wait to get to work with our student-athletes. Together, we will build a championship culture. Fight On!"
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Apuzzo—a Tewaaraton Award winner and World Champion—accepts her first appointment as a collegiate head coach. She previously served as an assistant coach at her alma mater Boston College for six seasons (2021-26) and was a graduate assistant for the Eagles in 2020.
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While on staff at BC, Apuzzo led one of the top scoring offenses and draw units in the nation. The Eagles were 105-25 (.808) during her tenure in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where she helped coach Charlotte North—a two-time Tewaaraton Award winner—and Jenn Medjid, a Tewaaraton Award finalist. Apuzzo was on staff and helped lead the Eagles to four consecutive NCAA championship games. Boston College won national titles in 2021 and 2024 and was the national runner-up in 2022 and 2023.
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As a student-athlete, Apuzzo helped lead Boston College to three consecutive national championship appearances and back-to-back undefeated regular seasons as a junior and a senior. She established BC's program records for career points (390), goals (278), and draw controls (444), and tied with teammate Kenzie Kent for the fewest games needed to reach 100 career points (25).
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Apuzzo became the first player from Boston College to win the prestigious Tewaaraton Award in 2018 and was a three-time nominee (2017, '18, '19) and a two-time finalist (2018, '19). Apuzzo also won the Honda Award for Lacrosse in 2018 and was a finalist in 2019. She was a three-time IWLCA All-America first-team selection (2017, '18, '19), a two-time IWLCA Attacker of the Year (2018, '19), a two-time Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American (2018, '19), a three-time NCAA all-tournament team member (2017, '18, '19), a three-time All-ACC first-team selection (2017, '18, '19), a three-time All-ACC Tournament Team selection (2017, '18, '19) and the ACC's Attacker of the Year in back-to-back years (2018, '19).
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Apuzzo holds two degrees from Boston College. She received her bachelor's degree in 2019 and completed a master's degree in 2021. On the field, Apuzzo is an active member of Team USA. She helped the U.S. win gold medals in 2022 at the World Championship and won gold in 2025 at the World Games with the U.S. National Sixes Team.
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The Trojans (8-9 overall, 1-7 Big Ten) finished the regular season eighth in the Big Ten standings and did not advance to the conference tournament. USC earned four home wins in the new Rawlinson Stadium including a 9-8 victory over a 24th-ranked Brown (Feb. 15). The Trojans also collected four wins on the road, which included a 15-10 decision at Oregon to conclude the season. USC had one of the toughest schedules in the nation and faced eight ranked opponents including three in a row ranked in the top 10.
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For more information on the USC lacrosse team, please visit USCTrojans.com/lax. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCTrojansLax on X and Instagram.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT SAM APUZZO
"I am beyond proud of Sam for taking this next step in her journey. Moving across the country to build her own legacy at USC is an incredible milestone and we are so proud of her. Sam is a lacrosse icon, an exceptional role model, and a truly incredible human being. We will miss her every single day at Boston College. For over a decade, she poured her heart into this program, leaving an undeniable mark on everything we do. As a program, we would not be where we are today without her and I personally would not be the coach or person I am without Sam by my side. She is family to me and I cannot wait to watch her professional career explode as a head coach."
   -- Acacia Walker-Weinstein, Boston College Schiller Family Head Coach for Women's Lacrosse
"There is absolutely no one better to take on this role than Sam Apuzzo. I started off, along with the rest of the lacrosse world, as simply a fan of Sam Apuzzo. I idolized and dreamt about replicating all of the details about her game. I then joined the group of people who were not only lucky enough to be coached by her but also got to play alongside of her. Sam's unmatched work ethic, fierce drive, and ability to win is what differentiates her from the competition. I've had the privilege of training with Sam every day and her passion and dedication to her team's success is infectious. There is no doubt in my mind that this program will find success with the foundation being built upon Sam's standards. She embodies a winning mindset in every part of her life. Not everyone is lucky enough to be coached by Sam, and I envy each of her new players and staff members who will live inspired by her each day."
  -- Charlotte North, two-time Tewaaraton Award winner and ESPN lacrosse analyst
"Sam has stayed at the pinnacle of the player pool since graduating college. That takes a true student of the sport and is what makes an elite competitor. As someone who has played against her, she's the type of player you want on your team because she's incredibly skilled and always seems to deliver in big moments. What has always stood out to me though, is how she competes: with professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for the game. I have no doubt that she'll build a USC program that develops not only highly talented players, but also great teammates, leaders, and competitors."
  -- Erin Bakes, USC midfielder (2019-21) and WLL pro athlete
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