Meghan Keelan was hired as head coach of the Rhodes College women's lacrosse program on December 15th, 2016. The 2022 season will be her sixth at the helm of the Lynx.
Keelan has led Rhodes to the NCAA Division III National Tournament, SAA regular season championship and SAA tournament championship in each of her four eligible seasons at the helm of the Lynx. The team is also undefeated in conference during her tenure as well. Rhodes advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2017 and 2018, hosting the second round of the NCAA Tournament each of those seasons. In 2019 the Lynx traveled to Illinois Wesleyan for the opening round and hosted a six-team pod for the first and second rounds in 2021 where they entered the tournament in the second round. The Lynx have been named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Squad in each of Keelan's seasons as the head coach.
During the 2021 season, Rhodes finished the year 14-1 after winning 14 straight games with an NCAA berth after being crowned SAA Champions during the regular season (5-0) and tournament championships. Keelan was named SAA Coach of the Year and the IWLCA's West Region Coach of the Year. She earned her 100th career victory in the fourth game of the season in a dominating 23-3 victory over Hendrix. A record eight Lynx garnered All-West Region honors and 10 All-SAA accolades (7 first team honorees), while
Baylee Barker was tabbed second team All-American and SAA Offensive Player of the Year. Barker is just the second All-American in program history, both under Keelan, and as a junior, is the youngest to earn the honor.
Statistically in 2021, Rhodes was ranked among the top in several NCAA Division III rankings at the end of this season:
1st - Scoring Offense – 21.53, Points per game – 32.87, Draw Controls per game: 19.67
2nd - Shots per game – 42, Scoring Margin – 14.20, Assists per game – 11.33
3rd - Shots on goal per game – 31.67
Individually, sophomore Emily Bruner finished the season ranked second among D-III players in total assists (61) and third in assists per game (4.07) while Barker finished fifth in draw controls per game (9.60) and ninth in total goals (65). Junior Payton Bennett was sixth in total points (98) and eighth in points per game (6.43).
In 2019 the Lynx went 13-4 which included an 11-game win streak. Eight Lynx were tabbed all-conference and three All-Region including SAA Newcomer of the Year, Baylee Barker. Barker, Annika Hedlund and Daly Colarossi each earned their first career all-region honors.
The 2018 campaign was record-breaking as Kendall Cunningham became the first All-American in Rhodes women's lacrosse history. Senior teammate Ashley Doyle also made history as the first Lynx to play in the Senior All-Star game. Rhodes went 15-4 as Cunningham, Doyle and Maggie Rippeto earned All-Region honors. Seven earned All-SAA honors, led by Cunningham who was named SAA Offensive Player of the Year. Rhodes ended the season in the Sweet 16 against Trinity.
In 2017, her first as an NCAA Division III head coach, Rhodes won 19 consecutive games before falling to Gettysburg in the Sweet 16. Six Lynx were tabbed all-conference honorees, all of which repeated in 2018.
Keelan came to Rhodes as the Lynx were about to begin their fourth season as a varsity program that already appeared in the NCAA Championship twice, including a victory, two conference tournament titles, a regular season title, and an overall record of 36-11 and 15-5 in the Southern Athletic Association. The Lynx are 28-7 in their last two seasons and 11-2 in the SAA.
Keelan comes to Memphis after serving as the assistant coach at Arizona State and the head lacrosse coach at Shepherd University for five seasons. She also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Bucknell University from 2008-11.
During the 2014-15 season, Keelan led the Shepherd Rams to an undefeated Mountain East Conference regular season and to the inaugural conference title. The Rams were ranked nationally in Division II in ground balls per game (6th), caused turnovers per game (11th), and scoring offense (11th).
That season, Keelan coached eight All-MEC performers, including a trio of first-team honorees, along with the 2015 MEC Defensive Player of the Year. That team also boasted four All-MEC Tournament selections, including the Most Valuable Player.
Keelan had a standout career as a student-athlete at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County from 2004-08, where she was a captain for her final season. Keelan led the team in assists in 2006 and 2008 and is 11th in school history for career assists. She graduated in 2008 with a B.A. in Psychology and received her M.B.A. in Sports Management from Shepherd in 2015.
| Year |
Overall Record |
Conference Record |
Win Percentage |
Season Highlights |
| 2017 |
19-1 |
7-0 |
.950 |
- NCAA Sweet 16
- SAA Regular Season Champions
- SAA Tournament Champions
- won 19 consecutive games |
| 2018 |
15-4 |
6-0 |
.789 |
- NCAA Sweet 16
- SAA Regular Season Champions
- SAA Tournament Champions
- First IWLCA All-American in program history (Kendall Cunningham- 3rd team)
- First Senior All-Star (Ashley Doyle)
- SAA Offensive Player of the Year (Kendall Cunningham) |
| 2019 |
13-4 |
6-0 |
.765 |
- NCAA First Round
- SAA Regular Season Champions
- SAA Tournament Champions
- SAA Newcomer of the Year (Baylee Barker) |
| 2020 |
6-3 |
1-0 |
.667 |
- Inside Lacrosse DIII Media All-American (Baylee Barker- hon. mention)
- Katie Clark Earns DIII WLAX Yeardley Love Unsung Hero Award |
| 2021 |
14-1 |
5-0 |
.933 |
- NCAA Second Round
- SAA Regular Season Champions
- SAA Tournament Champions
- SAA Offensive Player of the Year (Baylee Barker)
- 10 All-SAA honorees
- 8 IWLCA All-West Region honorees
- SAA Coach of the Year
- IWLCA West Region Coach of the Year
- IWLCA All-American (Baylee Barker - 2nd team)
- won 14 straight games
- Keelan earned 100th career victory |
| Rhodes Totals |
67-13 |
25-0 |
.838 |
|
| Shephard Totals |
43-21 |
|
.672 |
|
| Overall |
110 |
34 |
.764 |
|
