Tara (Coyle) Judd enters her fourth season as a member of the Hartford women’s lacrosse coaching staff in 2021. Joining the Hawks as a volunteer assistant coach for their inaugural season in 2018, she was elevated to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2019 campaign.
Helping build the program from the ground up, Hartford’s defense has grown tremendously under Judd’s watch. Emma Privitera, who posted America East’s best save percentage in each of the past two seasons, finished the 2019 campaign ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division I — and first among the nation’s freshmen — with 11.23 saves per game.
Judd helped make program history in 2019. With her guidance, Privitera became the first player to earn All-Conference distinction after landing a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
In addition, the Hawks have improved in every offensive category in each of Judd’s three seasons. After nearly doubling their goal production from 2018 to 2019, Hartford averaged a program-best 7.57 scores per game in 2020, which was limited to seven games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judd came to Hartford by way of Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was an integral part of the coaching staff for three years from 2014-17, including a brief stint as Interim Head Coach in 2016. Working alongside current Hawks’ head coach Meg Decker as an assistant coach, she helped build the foundation for the Rams’ women’s lacrosse program, which celebrated its inaugural season in 2014.
During Judd’s time at VCU, the Rams were ranked highest among the five first-year Division I programs in 2016, with team members earning two Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors and one A-10 Player of the Week laurel. The program won its inaugural game, 21-9, over Gardner-Webb, and later earned its first conference victory over St. Bonaventure.
A native of Farmingdale, N.Y., Judd enjoyed a standout collegiate career at the University of Richmond, where she led the Spiders to the A-10 Championship Game in each of her four years (2010-13). She was an All-Conference midfielder who served as Richmond’s captain during her senior season in 2013.
Judd graduated from Richmond in 2013 with a degree in marketing.
