University of Florida Women's Lacrosse

Amanda O’Leary, an experienced coach who played the sport at its highest level, finished her 16th season at the helm for the Florida Gators in 2025. O’Leary has turned her team into a national powerhouse since its inception in 2010. Hired to lead Florida’s inaugural lacrosse team on June 22, 2007, O’Leary had the opportunity to recruit and organize the program before the Gators began competition in the 2010 season. Her impressive career record of 422-128 (.767) ranks third among active head coaches in wins. In 15 seasons, plus the shortened 2020 season, she has taken Florida to three NCAA Final Fours, nine NCAA quarterfinal appearances, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, one Big 12 regular season title, one Big 12 tournament championship, four AAC regular season titles, five AAC tournament titles, four BIG EAST regular season championships, four BIG EAST tournament titles, four American Lacrosse Conference regular season titles and two ALC tournament championships. She has coached 44 Gators who have earned IWLCA All-American honors, five Tewaaraton Award finalists and two Honda Sports Award nominees. The 2025 season was another leap forward in Gainesville, as UF logged a 20-3 record overall and a 5-0 conference record in the inaugural Big 12 season. O'Leary and the Gators brought home the Big 12 regular season championship and the Big 12 tournament championship, outscoring Big 12 opponents by 12.00 goals per game in the regular season and postseason commbined. Florida got to its

Hicklen enters her second season as an assistant coach for the Florida lacrosse team after wrapping up year one in 2025. Hicklen coached the Florida goalkeep...

Jared Bernhardt is in his first year as an assistant coach for the Florida Gators in 2025-26, having been hired by Head Coach Amanda O'Leary in July 2025. Bernhardt comes to Florida with a decorated background in lacrosse and football, as he currently plays in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) for the Denver Outlaws, who he signed with in June of 2025. A native of Longwood, Fla., Bernhardt played college lacrosse at the University of Maryland from 2017-2021, where he totaled 290 points on 202 goals and 88 assists (second all-time in Maryland history in points and goals), appearing and starting in 76 of 76 games. Bernhardt was a four-time All-American in College Park and won the Tewaaraton Award in 2021 (one of-three Terrapins to win the Tewaaraton), while being a finalist in 2019. He started all 19 games as a freshman in 2017, helping the Terrapins win a National Championship. Bernhardt's 71 goals in 2021 are a single season program record at Maryland and his 18 goals and 24 points in the 2021 NCAA Tournament are both the most in a single NCAA Tournament. After his time at Maryland, Bernhardt went on to play football at Division ll powerhouse Ferris State as a Graduate Transfer. Bernhardt earned the spot as the Bulldogs starting quarterback and led the team to a 14-0 season, in route to the programs second NCAA National Championship. He accumulated 1,322 passing yards and 11 touchdowns through the air, while rushing for 1,421 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns on the ground. He

Lindsay Epstein enters her first season as an assistant coach for the Gators in 2025-26, having been officially hired in July 2025. Epstein joins the Gators after spending the past three season as an assistant coach at Fairfield University. Epstein helped the Stags to a 41-16 (.719) record, two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships (2023, 2025), and, in 2024, become the first-ever MAAC to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. A Marietta, Ga. native, Epstein was a five-year starter at Ohio State University from 2018-2022. During her collegiate lacrosse career, she racked up 81 points on 63 goals and 18 assists. She also racked up 79 ground balls, 72 draw controls and 46 caused turnovers en route to Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, Epstein was named an Honorable Mention All-American per Lacrosse Magazine and ILWomen, while also collecting her second IWLCA Academic Honor Roll mention and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar selection. Epstein earned Academic All-Big ten status in all five of her seasons and completed her bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in 2020 and her master’s degree in sport management in 2022, both from Ohio State.