Pabis Promoted to Associate Head Coach at Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati head lacrosse coach Lellie Swords has announced the promotion of Kari Pabis from assistant coach to associate head coach for the 2008-09 season. Pabis is entering her second season at UC.

"Kari did an amazing job this past year in getting our program off the ground," Swords said. "She is ready to take the next step toward running her own program, so promoting her to Associate Head Coach and asking her to take on more responsibility will not only strengthen her resume, but will strengthen our program tremendously."

Pabis was instrumental is getting the Bearcats lacrosse program off the ground in 2008, its first season of varsity competition. She joined the program in June, 2007 and helped the Bearcats to the first win in school history on March 7 against Saint Mary's.

"I feel very honored to have been given this opportunity and that Lellie believes that I am deserving of the title of Associate Head Coach," Pabis commented. "I am ready to take on more responsibilities and opportunities that will prepare me for the next step of being at the helm of my own program. Being at a University like Cincinnati and building a program from the ground up has been an amazing experience."

Pabis spent the 2005-2007 seasons at Towson, where she saw nine Tigers earn all-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) honors and two earn all-American accolades.

Following a stellar four-year playing career at James Madison, Pabis entered the coaching ranks as the head coach at Bridgewater College, becoming the youngest head women's lacrosse coach in the nation. The Eagles competed in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, one of the top Division III conferences in the country.

A 2003 graduate of James Madison, Pabis was a member of three CAA championship teams during her career with the Dukes and also made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the final four during her freshman year. One of the top defensive players for the Dukes, Pabis was honored an Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Academic Merit Scholar-Athlete three straight years. She was also selected to play in the 2003 STX North-South Senior All-Star Game.