Northern Vermont University-Lyndon women’s basketball coach Sean Lynch has has resigned after three seasons as the head coach of the Hornets. He has served in that capacity since 2016.
Lynch leaves after leading the Hornets through their most successful run as an NCAA Division III program. After narrowly missing the North Atlantic Conference playoffs in Lynch’s inaugural season, the Hornets posted back to back 14-12 records, the first winning campaigns in Division III. Lyndon also earned back to back NAC playoff berths in 2018 and 2019. This past season the Hornets’ 8-6 conference record was the best in program history. They finished in a third place tie and hosted a NAC playoff game for the first time ever. Their 66-42 quarterfinal win over UMaine-Farmington was the program’s first NAC playoff win and secured the program’s first ever semifinal berth.
Several Hornet players excelled under Lynch’s mentorship. Most notably, 2018 graduate Mikayla Hodge (Newport, VT) developed into the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, a D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region selection, and a two-time All-Conference selection. Hodge completed her Hornet career with 1,448 points and 1,231 rebounds. This past season junior Alissa Mitchell (Milton, NH) was the NAC Defensive Player of the Year and freshman Lea Crompton (Dunbarton, NH) was the conference Rookie of the Year.
Lynch reflected on his tenure with the Hornets. “I feel unbelievably blessed and grateful to have coached such amazing young women during my time at Lyndon. I am proud of the work we’ve done together and I will never forget these experiences. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to our program these past few years. Staff, faculty, administration, parents and fans have all played a key role in making our program strong. I look forward to following Lyndon women’s basketball for years to come.”
NVU-Lyndon Director of Athletics Chris Gilmore added “Sean Lynch in a short amount of time has made NVU Lyndon basketball an elite program in the North Atlantic Conference. His tireless work in practice, game preparation and recruiting have set the women’s basketball program on the strongest of foundations for future success. His mentorship of his athletes has not gone unnoticed with in the University. His teams’ academic performance and their on the court successes both are among the best at Lyndon and in the conference. We wish Sean well as he moves forward in his career.”
Immediately before coming to Lyndon Lynch spent three seasons as the Boys Varsity Basketball Coach at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, CO. He posted a 54-16 overall record at SMWS, including a 21-3 mark in conference play. His 2015-16 team reached the Colorado state championship game.
Lynch spent the 2012-13 season as an assistant coach with the Middlebury College women’s basketball program. That season Middlebury reached the New England Small College Athletic Conference semi-finals, the school’s best finish in the past 16 seasons.
Lynch was born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA. He is a 2010 graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He was a point guard on the 2005 state championship winning Santa Cruz High School team.
In addition to coaching women’s basketball at Lyndon, Lynch spent one season as the head women’s softball coach and one season as an assistant women’s lacrosse coach.
A search for a new head women’s basketball coach is underway.
