Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/30/12
From Press Release
Mercer Director of Athletics Jim Cole announced that Philly’s Eve Levinson has been named as the school’s first women’s lacrosse head coach, effective immediately. Levinson made her first Mercer appearance in a press conference today in the University Center.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Eve to the Mercer athletics family,” Director of Athletics Jim Cole said. “We have the utmost confidence that she is the right person to help us build a successful program.”
Levinson, a Germantown Academy graduate who played several seasons at Penn, had been named head coach at Penn State Abington this summer and also served as interim head coach at Bryn Mawr. She also was an assistant coach at Harriton for a season and the Philly coach for the JCC Maccabi Games in 2010.
Cole’s announcement established Levinson as the program leader as the school begins preparations for the team’s first season of competition in the spring of 2015. The beginning of her tenure also coincides with the opening of the Tony and Nancy Moye Family Football and Lacrosse Complex, a state-of-the-art facility.
“I would like to thank President Underwood and Mr. Jim Cole for their continued support of lacrosse at Mercer University and for welcoming me as the representative for their vision,” Levinson said. “Mercer is a winning institution and I am ready to contribute to its success with a winning lacrosse team.
“I look forward to creating a new element of tradition on campus and working with Coach Hannan to strengthen Mercer’s place in the lacrosse community. I am honored to be a Mercer Bear and part of the family here.”
Mercer will compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, one of 13 Division I conferences with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In 2015, other schools affiliated with the Atlantic Sun for women’s lacrosse will be Jacksonville, Detroit-Mercy, Howard, Stetson, Kennesaw State, Elon and Furman.
“We will be taking the next two seasons to build a base and prepare for competition,” Levinson said. “This gives me the chance to really get out into the lacrosse world to find the right young women who will put us on the path toward a championship program and add to the complete picture of Mercer University as well. This is a fantastic, and unique, opportunity for all of us to make our own mark in lacrosse.”
Levinson brings eight years of coaching experience to the fold after serving in various positions at the high school, club and collegiate levels. Most recently, Levinson served as head coach at Penn State Abington, a Division III member of the North Eastern Athletic Conference.
“Mercer is a top academic and athletic institution in the Southern region, and has made a clear commitment to furthering its strength in both of these areas,” Levinson said. “As seen in the beautiful new complex that is the home for lacrosse and football and the demonstrated passion for all of the athletic programs from Director of Athletics Jim Cole all the way through the student population, this is a wonderful place to grow a women’s lacrosse team.
“It will be a joy to work and play in facilities that are constant reminders of how much your own efforts mean to the entirety of the community. We are fortunate to have many pieces in place to push for success, and I have plenty of excitement and desire to get us on a winning track soon.”
Levinson becomes the 20th Philly grad to join the ranks as Division I head coaches. Click here for full story.
Prior to taking on head coaching responsibilities at Penn State Abington, Levinson was an assistant coach and ultimately interim head coach at Bryn Mawr College. In that capacity, she provided direct position coaching to goalies, including the 2010 Most Improved Player, and prepared field players to execute plays while developing tactical knowledge. Her efforts at Bryn Mawr also extended beyond the field, as she played a key role in player recruitment.
While at Bryn Mawr, Levinson also spent time as Head Girl’s Lacrosse Coach of the Philadelphia Delegation at the JCC Maccabi Games, an Olympic style event held annually for Jewish teens between the ages of 13 and 16. Her involvement included promoting the tournament to local lacrosse coaches, holding tryouts and planning practices. At the JCC Maccabi games, her squads captured the bronze medal in 2010 and the silver medal in 2011.
As a player, Levinson spent two seasons at the starting goalie for the Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Penn.), where she earned Defensive MVP honors and Academic All-American status in her senior year. After graduation, she joined the University of Pennsylvania women’s lacrosse team where she was a goalie and team manager.
After graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in history, Levinson went on to earn a Masters of Science in Education from Penn in 2006. Since that time, she has also served as a Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at Bryn Mawr College, a Field Manager and Canvasser for Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. and an Internet Marketing Manager for Prescott/Levinson Advertising.
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