George Mason has named two-time NCAA champion Kara Mupo as the fifth head coach in the history of the women’s lacrosse program.
Mupo’s pedigree of excellence within the sport includes a stellar playing career as a collegian at Northwestern and as a professional with both the U.S. National Team and the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League.
In addition, Mupo has compiled a diverse and accomplished resume during five seasons as a collegiate assistant coach. Possessing a gifted offensive mind, Mupo helped guide Stony Brook to a No. 1 national ranking in 2018 and Stanford to an NCAA appearance in 2019.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kara to our George Mason family,” George Mason Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Brad Edwards said. “She has achieved an elite level of success during every stint of her career while being mentored by some of the top voices in the sport. Kara is a tireless recruiter who possesses the innate ability to develop players. Her high energy style and engaging personality make her a natural leader, and I know our student-athletes will thrive under her direction.”
Mupo most recently served as offensive coordinator at Ohio State alongside former George Mason head coach Amy Bokker during the shortened 2020 campaign.
“I want to thank Brad Edwards, Debi Corbatto and the rest of the individuals in the athletic department who have worked so closely with me during this process,” Mupo said. “I am so thrilled to be joining Mason Nation and to have been given the opportunity to lead a program that is full of pride and tradition, both for the University as well as the entire Fairfax community. I cannot wait to share my passion for the game of lacrosse as well as my vision for the current and future student-athletes who will come through the George Mason Athletic department and the women’s lacrosse program!”
“I also would like to thank Amy Bokker as well as the entire lacrosse staff and The Ohio State Athletic Department,” Mupo added. “Over the past year, I had the opportunity to work closely with some amazing coaches, as well as administrative staff, who shared their vision and philosophies on creating everlasting championship experiences for their student-athletes.”
Mupo’s championship legacy began as an attack at Northwestern, where she won two national titles (2011, 2012) and led the Wildcats to four consecutive Final Four appearances. While helping to build one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the sport, Mupo scored 186 points (136g, 50a) over her career and served as team captain as a senior.
She began her coaching career as an assistant at William & Mary for two seasons, before moving on to an assistant role at Stony Brook in 2018, where she developed the most potent offense in the nation. Under her guidance, the Seawolves ascended to a No. 1 national ranking while leading the country in points per game (29.28), scoring margin (+10.80), assists per game (11.23) and shot percentage (.547).
Mupo joined Bokker – the former Mason head coach – at Stanford in 2019. In Palo Alto, Mupo again orchestrated an outstanding offensive season while transforming the Cardinal into the Pac-12’s top scoring unit. During the 2019 campaign, the Cardinal led the league in shot percentage (.431), assists (125), goals per game (13.89) and points per game (20.47), culminating in an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Upon Bokker’s naming as head coach at Ohio State, Mupo joined her in Columbus, where the Buckeyes had amassed wins over Cincinnati and Marquette, among others, before the season ended in March 2020.
A former member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Mupo also is a decorated player in the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL) and has played for the New England Command over the past two seasons. She won the first WPLL Championship as a member of the Command and led the league in scoring for the second time in three seasons. In 2016, she was a member of the Philadelphia Force and earned all-star status after she led the league in goals.
A native of Rocky Point, N.Y., Mupo earned a bachelor of science in human development and psychological services from Northwestern in 2014 and also earned her master’s degree in sports administration at Northwestern in 2015.