Mo Gaitan was named the first head coach of the Concordia women’s lacrosse program in June of 2015, joining the Golden Bear sidelines after serving as the top assistant coach for two seasons Augsburg College (2013-15) and as head coach at Lakeville North High School (2012-15).
“Mo rose to the top from a pretty large group of candidates and she was able to separate herself from a competitive interview process,” said Rubbelke. “Her experience in starting a program really helped with our decision. She has college recruiting experience, a vast amount of experience as a coach and player and we are really looking forward to bringing her on board. We’re excited for the lacrosse program to take off under Mo’s leadership.”
The athletics department announced the addition of NCAA Division II varsity women’s lacrosse earlier in April, 2015 to become the first scholarship-offering NCAA lacrosse program in Minnesota.
“Building a program from scratch is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I plan to cherish it and am incredibly excited to be part of it,” said Gaitan. “The program is in a great position as prospective student-athletes have the ability to earn a lacrosse scholarship at a school that is already more affordable and provides a better value than other local options. I look forward to working with and developing those who are looking to take advantage of this incredible opportunity.”
In her first season at the helm for the Golden Bears, Gaitan led the squad to an impressive 8-8 mark. CSP registered their first ever win in the season opener at the Concordia Dome with a 23-0 win over Northland College on February 10th, 2017. The victory was the first of four at the Concordia Dome as the team collected a winning record (4-3) on their home field. The team's first road win came in the form of a 16-12 victory at Rockhurst on March 3rd, 2017.
With Augsburg, Gaitan was instrumental in building the first NCAA women’s lacrosse program in the state.
“The journey at Augsburg College, in conjunction with my other experiences in the sport have given me great insight into developing a successful lacrosse family at CSP,” said Gaitan.
She continued, “Concordia has positioned themselves well to put our program on the map to become a program that competes at a high level. I cannot wait to begin and continue to grow the excellence that Concordia has established in athletics. I’m ready to capitalize on this opportunity and develop a firm imprint in the Division II women’s lacrosse landscape in the Upper Midwest.”
FIRST NCAA COACHING EXPERIENCE: AUGSBURG COLLEGE
In her two years with Augsburg, Gaitan was able to gain experience as a recruiter, targeting prospective student-athletes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Colorado. She was also involved in coordinating team itinerary for all 16 games including transportation, lodging and meals and was in charge of managing the team’s equipment, inventory and apparel. Aside from day-to-day program operations, Gaitan worked with team fundraising and volunteer events for the program.
While at Augsburg, she served as a graduate fellow in addition to her coaching duties, earning a master’s degree in in leadership.
HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE: HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY
In addition to her assistant coaching duties at Augsburg, Gaitan also completed her third year as head coach of the Lakeville North High School girls lacrosse team in 2015 where she oversees the academic and athletic success of 48 prep student-athletes, leading the Panthers to a 2013 MSHSL Runner-Up finish, becoming the third team to reach the state championship since the MSHSL began the state tournament in 2007.
Before taking over the Lakeville North program, Gaitan was head coach at St. Cloud Technical High School during her college years (2009-12), and was a varsity assistant coach at Rosemount High School (2012-13).
OTHER COACHING EXPERIENCE: YOUTH LEVEL TO U19 NATIONAL TEAM
She is also an assistant coach and United States Liaison for the Colombia U19 National Lacrosse Team, has previously served as co-head coach for Minnesota Lakers Select Club Lacrosse and is a head coach in the Lakeville Lacrosse Youth Association. Additionally, she has served as the youth program coordinator with the Minnesota Swarm professional lacrosse team and as the assistant director of Girls’ Lacrosse at the 2011 Star of the North Games.
STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE: FOUNDING SCSU’S CLUB TEAM
The Lakeville, Minn. native completed her undergraduate coursework at St. Cloud State University, earning a degree in recreation and sport management with a marketing minor. But it was her lacrosse experience that paved the way for her first college head coaching position at Concordia. She was the SCSU women’s club lacrosse founder, president and coach where she gained her first experience in recruiting, budget management, scheduling, event planning, marketing and fundraising.
Under her efforts, SCSU’s club program became a top-10 team in the North Central Women’s Lacrosse League in three years.
She has remained actively involved in the North Central Women’s Lacrosse League, serving as vice president and Division II rankings chair through the WCLA.
GAITAN COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Concordia-St. Paul – Head Coach, 2015-present
Augsburg College - Assistant Coach & Graduate Fellow, 2013-15
Lakeville North HS – Head Coach, 2013-15
Minnesota Lakers Select – Associate Head Coach, 2013
Lakeville 7/8 A Team – Head Coach, 2013
Rosemount HS – Assistant Coach, 2012
Minnesota Frost Travelling - 2012
St. Cloud Tech HS – Head Coach, 2009-12
MSLAX Youth Lacrosse Coach: 2006-15
