DELHI, N.Y. (July 11, 2017) – SUNY Delhi Athletic Director Bob Backus has announced the hiring of Lauren Mackay as head coach of the women’s soccer program. Mackay, a former standout player and 2007 graduate of Southern New Hampshire University, comes to lead the charge at Delhi after serving the last two seasons as an assistant coach at The Sage Colleges. This is Mackay’s first head-coaching position at the collegiate level.
“As someone who has had success as both a NCAA soccer player and coach, we felt Lauren Mackay was the perfect choice to lead our team at Delhi,” said Backus. “We are privileged to not just welcome Mackay aboard, but to give her her first opportunity as a college head coach. And we know she’ll do a great job.”
About Lauren Mackay:
“I am very thankful to Bob Backus and the hiring committee at SUNY Delhi for the opportunity to be able to take my coaching career to the next step and continue to share my passion for soccer with student athletes who also love the game. I am looking forward to being part of the athletic community at Delhi and building on the foundation that has been set for the women's soccer team.”
Mackay comes off a successful stint as assistant coach at The Sage Colleges in Albany, N.Y. during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Gators compiled a 26-12-1 record in that span, reaching the Skyline Conference semifinals in each of those years. In addition to her coaching duties, Mackay also completed her Master of Science in Health Education from the institution in 2016. Prior to coming to The Sage, Mackay served as an assistant coach at Potsdam State from 2013 to 2014.
At Southern New Hampshire University, Mackay was a President's List student and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Club Management. A four-year letterwinner at SNHU, she served as a team co-captain as a senior on the 2006 team. A former player on the Adirondack Lynx in 2007 and 2008, she also played as a member of the W-League Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues for two years before playing on the WPSL Alleycats in 2011.
A native of Stillwater, N.Y., Mackay graduated from Stillwater High School in 2003. A first-team All-New York State selection in soccer, Mackay served as the team’s co-captain her senior year, helping to lead to lead the squad to the NYS Final Four. She became the head coach of her alma mater from 2011 to 2012 after serving four years with the junior varsity program.
Mackay has also worked as the pro-shop manager at Saratoga Lake Golf Club in 2006-2007, before being elevated to general manager, a position she held until 2013. Mackay holds a NYS Certification in Health Education and taught at Bethlehem Central School District for the 2016-2017 school year. She has also worked as a substitute teacher and a teaching assistant in both the St. Lawrence/Lewis and Potsdam School Districts.