Teams: Women's Lacrosse: Press Releases

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

RAPPOLI SURPASSES 250 COACHING VICTORIES MILESTONE IN LACROSSE

MEDFORD -- Carol Rappoli, currently in her 29th year as a college lacrosse coach, recently won her 250th game. That places the Tufts University women's lacrosse coach in exclusive company. According to the 2007 NCAA record book, she is just the eighth coach in NCAA history regardless of Division to reach the 250 milestone.

"I'm old," Rappoli joked. "It's a great milestone to reach because it's a testament to all of the great kids I've coached over the years. They won the games, so it's really about the teams at the three different places where I've coached. Especially at Tufts."

Her 2007 Tufts University team earned Rappoli's 250th coaching victory back on March 20 with a 15-7 victory over Wheaton. She is currently in her 22nd season at Tufts, following five years at Colgate University (1981-85) and two years at Wellesley College (1979-80). Rappoli coached Colgate to a 50-22-1 record during her tenure, and her Wellesley teams were 5-10-2. She's currently approaching her 200th victory at Tufts with a 197-89-1 record.

In 377 games at three institutions, Rappoli's teams have an overall 252-121-4 record for an outstanding .673 winning percentage. She's seventh on the NCAA's Winningest Active Coaches list regardless of Division, and fifth in Division III for that category. Her winning percentage is one of the 15 best in NCAA lacrosse history.

Tufts teams have won .688 of their games under Rappoli's direction. She came to Tufts in 1985 after previous coach Nita Lamborghini became the coach at Harvard. Taking over an undefeated (13-0) team that won the ECAC Championship in 1985, Rappoli led the Jumbos on a historic run during her first five seasons at Tufts. From 1986-89, the Jumbos posted an incredible 48-2 record and won ECAC titles each year. As a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Tufts was not allowed to participate in NCAA Tournaments at that time.

Including four wins at the end of the 1987 season, undefeated 13-0 seasons in 1988 and 1989 and five wins at the start of the 1990 season, the Jumbos won 35 straight games. Rappoli guided Tufts to another ECAC title in 1995 when the team finished 12-1. Tufts is currented ranked 14th in the 2007 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association national poll.

Originally from Lincoln, Massachusetts, Rappoli is a 1978 Northeastern University graduate. She was a member of the U.S. National Team in 1977, 1978 and 1980. She also coached field hockey at Tufts from 1985-2003 with a 155-132-7 record. Including her field hockey posts at Wellesley and Colgate, Rappoli has coached teams to a total of 444 wins in both sports during her career.

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