Under the leadership of legendary Head Coach Pat Genovese, William Smith lacrosse has registered 24 winning seasons since the start of the 1982 campaign, including 16 trips to the NCAA Tournament.

The only coach the Heron lacrosse team has ever known, Genovese has more wins than any other Division III women’s lacrosse coach, sporting a career record of 328-119-1. She has firmly entrenched William Smith at the forefront of the game.

The Herons have an impressive postseason resume thanks to the direction of Genovese. She has led her charges to the NCAA tournament 16 times, the NCAA semifinals 11 times, and the national championship game five times. William Smith also boasts a pair of ECAC regional championships (1985, 2001).

Genovese has been highly decorated throughout her tenure. She is a three-time Division III National Coach of the Year, a three-time Regional Coach of the Year, and a three-time NYSWCAA Coach of the Year. Her involvement with women’s lacrosse is extensive, working for Munzy’s All-American camps, while running the William Smith Lacrosse camp the past 10 summers.

A three-time coach of the North-South All-Star Game, Genovese has tutored 94 All-Americans, while seven Herons have earned the prestigious Player of the Year Award.

Genovese also coached the field hockey team from 1971 through 1987, leading William Smith to three state titles, an NCAA regional title, and a trip to its first NCAA Division III title game (1987).

In addition to her coaching duties, Genovese also serves as an assistant director of athletics. She plays an integral role in the department's fundraising, overseeing the Heron Society's Corporate Alliance Program. Genovese also was a central figure in the management of the 2006 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship which was hosted by William Smith.

A magna cum laude graduate of SUNY Cortland, Genovese earned a master’s degree from Ithaca College. She was inducted into the Cortland “C” Club Hall of Fame in 1990, the Rochester/Western New York Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1998, and the William Smith Athletics Hall of Honor in 1999. In 1998, Genovese received the NYSWCAA Service Award for her contributions to women’s athletics.

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