Katie Baranski has already made her mark on the St. Ambrose women's lacrosse program. Joining the program as a freshman in its inaugural season in 2018, she graduated as the school's all-time leader in goals (115), assists (28) and points (143). She currently remains second in both career goals and points and has only slid to fourth in assists.

So when the program needed a head coach just days into the start of the 2023 regular season, Baranski was chosen to fill the void. The 2021 St. Ambrose graduate returned in early March after serving as an assistant coach at Augustana College. She led the Bees to seven wins to finish off an 8-7 campaign, and helped the team reach the Heart of America Conference Tournament semifinals, where SAU fell to No. 8 Benedictine.

The choice of Baranski as head coach was an easy one to make for SAU Director of Athletics Mike Holmes.

"When you are in the position of trying to fill a vacancy mid-year, there are many potential pitfalls," Holmes said. "I knew Katie from her playing days here, and when it was a possibility that we could bring her here to complete the season, I knew we had a competent and motivated coach who was capable of not only putting a bandage on a difficult situation, but advancing the program as its leader in upcoming years."

Now Baranski is ready for her first full season in the spring of 2024 as the head coach and building the program into the future.

"As a member of the first-ever women's lacrosse team here at St. Ambrose, I feel it goes without saying how special this program and school are to me," she said. "I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and I am excited to now be coaching a team I helped build."