Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Maggie Koch left Syracuse in 2011 thinking she’d never return. She considered coming back in the ensuing years, but figured the game had changed too much in her time away.

But if she did return, SU was the only place she wanted to go, former Syracuse goalie Liz Hogan said. So, when an assistant coach spot opened before the 2025 season, Hogan urged her to apply.

“I was like, ‘Dude, you gotta go back,’” Hogan said.

Koch was hired in January as Syracuse’s new goalkeeping coach for her second stint with the program. From 2008-11, Koch helped lead SU to two Final Fours while molding Hogan into the program’s all-time saves leader and 2010 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Goalkeeper of the Year. She then coached high school lacrosse in Texas from 2015-24, helping develop future Boston College star Charlotte North, who became a two-time Tewaaraton Award winner.

Now, back at Syracuse, she’s used tactics from both experiences to help first-time starter Daniella Guyette become one of the best goalies in the country, keeping the Orange in range of competing for their first national title.

“I thought it could be an exciting change in my life,” Koch said on returning to Syracuse. “The opportunity to get back on the East Coast and potentially work with one of the best programs in college lacrosse, it really piqued my interest, and I kind of just shot my shot.”

Cole Ross | Digital Design Director

When Koch rejoined SU, she inherited an inexperienced goalie room. Two-year starter Delaney Sweitzer transferred to Northwestern, and Guyette, a junior, had played in only seven collegiate games. But stemming from her prior coaching stints and playing career at Georgetown from 2005-07, which led to her No. 5 jersey being retired and included 2007 IWLCA Goalkeeper of the Year honors, Koch brought a wealth of experience.

Koch initially leaned on her first stint with SU, reusing tricks she taught Hogan. Koch reminded Guyette that she couldn’t save every shot. Guyette embraced that mantra, staying so calm that Koch joked she wanted her hooked up to a heart rate monitor.

Clearing has been one of Koch’s main points of emphasis. When Hogan entered SU at 17 years old with just three years of lacrosse experience, her clears needed work. So, Koch made her practice them with her eyes closed. Hogan watched defenders run football-esque routes before shutting her eyes and throwing where she’d seen them go.

“She really took the time to teach me a skill that I feel like a lot of goalies aren’t really well trained on,” Hogan said. “That’s how I was able to add a different level that really made opponents have to scout even further.”

Hogan developed accuracy on 30- to 50-yard clears and recorded multiple assists at Syracuse. Her consistency in net further sharpened thanks to detailed shot logs Koch kept, tracking directions and angles. Hogan went on to set a program record with 660 career saves.

Koch uses similar drills with Guyette. While the junior could throw long passes, Koch said she often heaved the ball downfield aimlessly, likening the recklessness to New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston.

“Towards the beginning of the season, she calls it going full Jameis (Winston), there definitely were some decisions where the ball is just being chucked down the field,” Koch said.

By reintroducing drills she ran with Hogan, Koch has improved Guyette’s decision making, leading to a .904 clearing clip and 142 saves.

Syracuse assistant coach Maggie Koch and SU goalie Daniella Guyette talk on the field before its game against then-No. 11 Virginia. In her first season back with the Orange, Koch has helped Guyette develop into a star. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor

While the Orange have had mixed success this season, they were a powerhouse in Koch’s first stay. Syracuse made the Final Four twice, including an unseeded run in 2010.

That season, SU barely made the NCAA Tournament. But it snagged two upset wins to become the second-ever unseeded team to make the semifinals. The biggest of those contests for Koch came against No. 4 seed Georgetown — her alma mater — in the first round.

From her playing days, she knew that head coach Ricky Fried would use the 12-player ride, so she urged Hogan to release the ball quickly. Koch also advised the Orange to lock down the Hoyas’ top two scorers, her former teammates Molly Ford Hutchinson and Ashby Kaestner, per then-assistant coach Regy Thorpe.

Koch’s strategies paid off. Syracuse prevailed 15-8, with just Ford Hutchinson scoring more than one goal for Georgetown.

“To be there for (three) years and to do so well, it was certainly bittersweet,” Thorpe said. “But she was on our sideline, not Georgetown’s sideline. So she was pretty ecstatic.”

After Syracuse missed the tournament in 2011, Koch left to volunteer at Onondaga Community College for two years. She considered staying on the lacrosse-heavy East Coast, but Ford Hutchinson, who’d moved to Texas, invited her to help with a clinic in January 2014.

Koch enjoyed the experience so much she considered moving there. In 2015, when the head coach position opened at the Episcopal School of Dallas (Texas), Koch took over the role.

There, Koch helped mold North into potentially the best women’s lacrosse player ever. Noticing her interest in other sports like basketball, Koch encouraged North to dive into lacrosse highlights on YouTube.

Drawing from her time with SU, she pointed North to legends like Kayla Treanor and Michelle Tumolo. North quickly became obsessed with the duo and lacrosse as a whole.

“She loved the NBA and these great players,” Koch said. “It’s like, you want to see a great player, you want to see a great athlete, look at these two.”

North also added to Koch’s web of connections throughout the lacrosse world. Including North, Hogan, Treanor, Tumolo and Katie Rowan, Koch has coached or recruited many modern stars.

After nearly a decade in the Lone Star State, Koch left the Eagles in 2023, not planning to coach again in Texas. But she was wrong.

Thomas Sale had just become St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s athletic director and needed a lacrosse coach. After hearing Koch was available, Sale knew she’d bring a technical aspect the program lacked. Koch agreed to take an official visit, and Sale knew she was perfect for the job five minutes into the tour.

“It’s very rare to find someone who’s available, who has that experience, especially in the state of Texas,” Sale said. “My philosophy going in was, I’m gonna put my best foot forward, and hopefully she likes St. Andrew’s, but at the same time, she’s gonna have to tell me no.”

Despite St. Andrew’s’ lack of Division I caliber players, Koch took on the challenge of leading the program in 2024 and completely turned it around in one year. Koch led St. Andrew’s to its first-ever Southwest Preparatory Conference semifinal, defeating juggernaut Kinkaid High School in the third round. Sale said the success has sparked growing interest among prospective players.

Koch planned on sticking with the Highlanders after her strong first year. But with Syracuse calling her name, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Still, Koch wasn’t itching to return after carving out a successful coaching career in Texas. But when she joined the Orange this season, her friends, former teammates and coaches knew she was back where she belonged.

Published on April 15, 2025 at 10:00 pm
Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99