Eric Allen Headshot

Eric Allen

BIOGRAPHY

Eric Allen enters his first season at the helm of the lacrosse program after being named head coach in July of 2022 after serving as an assistant under interim Head Coach Elizabeth Parr during the 2022 season. As an assistant coach, he helped lead the program to its best season in over five years. While coaching the Vixens, Allen was responsible for the development of sets and plays, the creation of scouting reports as well as both practice and game management. He also ran individual and small group skill sessions.

Eric has been involved with lacrosse for over 40 years as a player, coach and parent. With over a decade of lacrosse coaching experience, Allen served as the head coach of programs at Fluvanna County High School, Monticello High School and Tandem Friends School. Additionally, Allen also helped start Fluvanna County's first club youth boys and girls lacrosse programs for grades five through twelve.

He’s shown the ability to build winning programs, with a focus on development, positive team cultures, and empowering student-athletes. He began coaching in 1986 at Western Albemarle High School. Started club programs in Fluvanna Coutny, quickly developing winning programs primarily playing teams in the Richmond, VA area. With a small roster of 13, he led the Tandem Friends School’s boys’ varsity program to a perfect conference record in 2011, earning Delaney Conference “Coach of the Year” honors. In 2017 Eric returned to Fluvanna County High School where over the next four years he moved the Flucos from the bottom to the middle of the competitive Jefferson District.

Outside of coaching lacrosse, Eric served in the United States Marine Corps as an Assault Amphibian Section Leader and served in Operation Desert Storm. Prior to that, he served as a Recruiter where he was meritoriously promoted. After 9/11 Eric joined the Virginia Army National Guard where he served as an Infantry Machine Gunner, Fire Team Leader, Range Operations Training Sergeant and Recruiter. As a Recruiter, Allen was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and twice awarded the Army Achievement Medal before retiring in 2019. On the civilian side, he was in the print media and advertising industry for 20 years, 15 years of which he was the publisher of a chain community newspapers that he founded. After that he launched two successful insurance agencies in Central Virginia.

Eric has been married to his wife Kristen for 32 years and they have two children, a daughter Eleanor (Ellie) who played Division I women's lacrosse at Campbell University where she was an IWLCA Academic All-American and a son Andrew who is a rising senior at James Madison University, majoring in biology. He spends his spare time playing grandmasters men’s lacrosse and painting landscapes.

COACHING HISTORY

Year Overall Pct. ODAC Pct. Postseason
2023 1-9 .100 0-4 .000 -
1 Season 1-9 .100 0-4 .000 -

PERSONAL


Family Kristen (Wife); Eleanor (Daughter); Andrew (Son)

Education B.A. (Regent, 2012)

ACCOLADES

CSAC Honorable Mention: Two Selections

MILESTONES AT SWEET BRIAR

First Win: vs. William Peace, 15-2 (Feb. 25, 2023)