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July 11, 2003

AU coach Maureen Dupcak resigns with the most wins of any head coach in the program's history.

WASHINGTON — After leading the American University women’s lacrosse team to its first-ever Patriot League title and NCAA Tournament appearance, head coach and Patriot League Coach of the Year Maureen Dupcak announced her resignation today after six seasons. Dupcak is leaving AU to spend more time with her family, which includes her one-year old daughter, Samantha. A nationwide search for a replacement will begin immediately.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my six seasons at AU,” Dupcak said. “I think we accomplished a lot of things we set out to do for this young program and I’m very proud of that. I will miss coaching greatly, but my family is most important to me.”

Dupcak, who oversaw the rise of the American women’s lacrosse team, took over the helm at AU in 1998, inheriting a program that had won only 17 games since its inception six years earlier. In her second season, Dupcak led the Eagles to a 9-7 mark and she was named the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year. In 2002, she led American to a Patriot League regular season co-championship and a school record 10 wins.

Dupcak led the Eagles to the best season in school history in 2003 with a new school record 11 wins and an 11-8 overall record. AU captured the Patriot League regular season co-championship again and also earned the right to host the Patriot League Tournament. The Eagles won the tournament in impressive fashion and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Dupcak leaves American University as the winningest coach in the program’s history. She finished with a 45-54 [.455] career record which includes the three best records in school history. Her squad excelled in the classroom as well with 16 of the 21 student-athletes on the roster being named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll this year.

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men, recently completed its second year of membership in the Patriot League. Since joining the Patriot League, the University has captured league championships in men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball, and a regular-season title in men’s basketball.

Chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893, American University features students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 160 nations worldwide.