HANOVER — Alex Frank, a University of Colorado assistant coach, was named head coach of the Dartmouth women’s lacrosse team, Director of Athletics & Recreation Harry Sheehy announced on Tuesday.
Frank becomes just the fifth head coach in the program’s 48-year history and comes to Hanover after spending four seasons as a member of the coaching staff at Colorado, the last two as associate head coach under Ann Elliott Whidden.
Frank replaces Danielle Spencer, who left Dartmouth to take the same post at Stanford University. Spencer guided the Big Green to an Ivy League regular-season title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, its first since 2013. She was 29-19 in three seasons at Dartmouth, 13-8 in Ivy play.
This past season, Frank and the Buffaloes finished as the Pac-12 Tournament runners-up and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament after narrowly defeating the Big Green in a first-round contest.
Under Frank’s guidance, Colorado reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years, winning in the first round in both 2018 and 2019.
Prior to her time in Boulder, Frank spent three seasons as an assistant with Boston College from 2013 to 2015. The Eagles posted a 42-18 mark in her three years on the Heights, reaching the national tournament three times, including a 2013 first-round game against Dartmouth in Syracuse.
At both Colorado and BC, Frank served as the recruiting coordinator, responsible for bringing in some of the nation’s best players at both schools that have turned each program into a power on the national stage. She has experience coaching in each area of the field as she was the Buffs’ offensive coordinator after working with the midfield and defense at Boston College.
Her coaching career followed a stellar playing career with Northwestern, where she won three national titles (2009, 2011, 2012), was named an All-America player three times (2010, 2011, 2012) and was voted team captain as both a junior and senior. She graduated from Northwestern’s School of Communications in 2012 with a degree in radio, television and film and a minor in business institutions.
Frank was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team three times (2010-12) and, as a senior, she was honored as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Frank played two seasons with Spencer at Northwestern and won the 2010 national title together.
“The Dartmouth women’s lacrosse program is rich in tradition,” Frank said in a statement. “Previous coaches have created an incredible foundation for success, and I am excited to carry on the tradition of excellence. Dartmouth provides the student-athlete with an unparalleled college experience.
“With the support of the athletic department, academic advisers and the passionate Dartmouth alumni, I will honor these traditions as well as bring new innovations to the Dartmouth women’s lacrosse program.”