After coaching the Fresno State women’s lacrosse program for the last eight seasons, head coach Jessica Giglio has stepped down from her position, according to a Fresno State Athletics press release.
It is unclear the reasoning behind Giglio’s resignation so close to the beginning of the season, with official practice starting at the beginning of the spring semester and the regular season starting on Feb. 15.
In a statement to athletics following her resignation, Giglio said she is proud of the job she has done at Fresno State.
“I am proud of the progress that this Fresno State women’s lacrosse program has made, from earning its first win in my first season to developing into a competitive team with some great wins these past few years,” said Giglio. “And now I am looking forward to focusing my energy on starting our family and the next chapter in our lives. I wish the program continued success.”
During her tenure at the helm of the program, Giglio coached 21 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) all-conference selections, including two Rookie of the Year recipients.
Although, despite the talent on the roster during her time with the program, Giglio’s win-loss record stood at 41-80 overall and 8-45 in conference play. Her only winning season came in 2017, going 9-7 (2-6 MPSF).
However, Giglio’s players did excell in the classroom, posting academic progress rates over 990 for seven of her eight seasons. Her 2019 squad achieved a team grade point average of 3.4.
Also, during her time with the program an independent review of Fresno State’s women’s lacrosse program was conducted nearly one year ago.
According to the audit, the was no evidence of NCAA rules violations, athletics department procedural violations or institutional policy violations were found.
The audit, which was finalized Jan. 25, 2019, was initiated in September 2018 following complaints from former players and parents about Giglio.
Fresno State Athletic Director Terry Tumey stated on the release that he was grateful for the time Giglio dedicated to the program and wishes her all the best in the future.
“We thank coach Giglio for her contributions to Fresno State Athletics,” said Tumey in the release. “She was dedicated to building the lacrosse program for the last eight seasons and we appreciate her efforts. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Stepping in as interim head coach for the Fresno State women’s lacrosse team is Kara Concheck. She is a former Fresno State lacrosse student-athlete and head coach of St. Francis for the last four seasons and joined the program this fall as an assistant.
The lacrosse team opens the regular season at Furman on Feb. 15.