Villareal named head women’s lacrosse coach

Bill Villareal, a retired U.S. Navy commander with more than 30 years of lacrosse experiences, has been named head coach for women’s lacrosse.

First introduced to lacrosse in the early 1980s as a student at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis, Md., Villareal is a former defenseman at the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School and the U.S. Naval Academy. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach under Patrick Cooney for the Salve Regina men’s lacrosse team.

“I feel very comfortable going from men’s to women’s lacrosse since I’ve been coaching both games for awhile now,” Villareal said. “The Salve athletic department and the women’s lacrosse seniors have made the transition to the women’s lacrosse team a very smooth process.”

Villareal says he is excited and honored to be the head coach for the women’s lacrosse team and looks forward to starting fall ball with the program.

“I can assure you that I will use my energy, passion and knowledge of the game to help start a successful new chapter of the women’s lacrosse program while encouraging a positive student-athlete experience for all of my players,” he said.