Gannon University
NCAA DII • PSAC
Date: March 21, 2026
Would Recommend
Tags
Gannon University had struggled in past with coaching, they fired the previous coach Kerri O’Donnell due to a losing record and mentally abusive tactics. Gannon was under the impression that they brought in a tenured coach when bringing in Jennifer. In reality, Jennifer had been fired from her two previous NCAA coaching positions. From the moment she arrived, she would continually talk about each players replacement and firmly emphasized that “this was not her team”. If you are not fit, you will be forced to run extreme run tests that you cannot pass and she knows that you will not pass. She then will create a “run club” where these out of shape players will run, so that essentially they will lose weight. If you are passing all these fitness tests, you will start- even if you have poor lacrosse IQ and skills. Jennifer has continued to recruit these players who put their trust into her to help grow them as a player, but all she does is tear them down and make them question their own self worth. If you struggle with mental health, it will only get worse because of her. When her players require major surgery, their emotional well being is fragile. Jennifer will make you feel invisible, she will treat you as if you don’t exist. But one thing she will make her players do is ball hunt during practice. Jennifer is a manipulative individual who is stuck in her old ways, she was coached by Kevin Cooke who was an individual that destroyed his players mentally. Kevin Cooke was fired by Mercyhurst in 2021 due to his horrible coaching. Mercyhurst did their due diligence in firing a coach that was mentally abusive, but why hasn’t Gannon? There has been numerous occasions where Gannon has failed their student athletes. The classes of 2021 to 2024 had suffered the most. In 2021, Jennifer had brought in her senior class to her office and ask them to tell her what the younger classes were doing and if they were partying on the weekend. Jennifer preaches in her players ratting on the eachother. Jennifer additionally involves herself in her players personal lives, asking who are they seeing and who they are sleeping with. If you are just jealous of your players, you can say that. Don’t pretend to be a friend to them and in turn back stab them. As mentioned previously, Jennifer is a master manipulator. During the early spring of 2021, players had decided to attend a house party- a normal thing to do. Unfortunately, a former spiteful player had decided to document to ‘LiveSafe’ that the women’s lacrosse team was there. It became news to Jennifer, without warning she posted in the team chat there was a team meeting at 10am on zoom. The players were alarmed and logged on, she did not say hello nor good morning. All she said was “does anyone seriously not have anything to say?” She then proceeded to threaten her players to rat on eachother and tell her if they were there at the party. How can you preach family and cohesiveness, when you encourage ratting? Furthermore, she proceeded to give these players until 2pm to inform the team that they were at the party. After these players informed Jennifer that they were at the party, she placed them on academic probation with the university and suspended them from the team. During the players suspension, no teammate was allowed to speak to the suspended players- sisters weren’t even allowed to speak to their sisters. These players were also placed in quarantine and given freezer burnt food that wouldn’t even thaw out. She does not care about her players well being. From the time of 2020 to 2024, over 40 players have quit because of her. Gannon University does nothing when these players tell the athletics department that they are suffering. Players walk into the training room crying because of her, she places players on the redshirt list without them even knowing. She is negligent to her players and Gannon University athletics lets it happen. Dan Teliski and Lisa Goddard were all pawns in her manipulation game. Not only can she not hold a winning record or players, she can’t hold on to an assistant coach. These assistant coaches are belittled just like her players because they know her coaching doesn’t work. It’s always the same plays and same defence. Jennifer, you don’t have the players to keep on doing the same thing. One can say that her former players ‘replacements’ are downgrades. But it’s finally ‘Her team’!! The program’s repeated portrayal of itself as a “family” is increasingly difficult to take seriously given the consistent disconnect between that messaging and the athlete experience. An environment that leaves players feeling diminished, emotionally strained, and reluctant to speak openly is not aligned with the standard of leadership expected in collegiate athletics. There appears to be a pattern of communication that is impersonal and, at times, transactional—particularly when outreach is tied to expectations of additional financial contribution. This raises legitimate concerns about priorities and the authenticity of the program’s stated values. Leadership is not defined by slogans, but by the culture it creates. When that culture fosters fear, discouragement, or emotional distress rather than support and development, it warrants serious reflection and accountability. Jennifer will remind you that you are replaceable but maybe someone should replace her?