CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Athletics has named Tianna Wallpher the next head coach of the Charlotte women's lacrosse program, Director of Athletics Kevin White announced Friday afternoon.

Wallpher arrives in Charlotte after serving as an assistant coach at Ohio State for the past three seasons, where she guided the Buckeyes' defense and helped develop one of the Big Ten's most competitive defensive units. She brings a proven record of defensive excellence, championship-level playing experience, a reputation as a program-builder, and acclaim as one of the sport's rising coaching talents.

"When we set out to find our next head coach, we wanted an elite competitor and someone with a proven track record of building winning habits at the highest levels of lacrosse," said White. "We found exactly that in Tianna Wallpher. She brings a strong combination of relationship and culture building, defensive expertise, and professional championship playing experience. She knows what winning looks like because she has lived it as both a player and a coach. We are excited for her to lead our women's lacrosse program into its next chapter."

Wallpher joined the Ohio State staff in 2023 after helping engineer a dramatic defensive turnaround at East Carolina. During her time with the Pirates, ECU established a program-record save percentage and produced the second-lowest goals-against average in school history. In 2023, East Carolina ranked 21st nationally in scoring defense and 11th nationally in save percentage.

Prior to her time at East Carolina and Ohio State, Wallpher gained coaching experience at both Towson and Johns Hopkins, building a reputation as an exceptional teacher, recruiter and developer of defensive talent.

"I am so incredibly honored and excited to be the next head coach for the Charlotte women's lacrosse team," said Wallpher. "I want to thank Kevin and the whole Charlotte administration for this amazing opportunity. I cannot wait to continue to build what has been started here as a program, and to compete with the best in the American Conference and the country. Let's get to work, Niner Nation!"

Known for her aggressive defensive philosophy, Wallpher's teams emphasize communication, toughness, caused turnovers, and fast-paced transition play. Her recruiting network spans the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast, providing Charlotte access to some of the nation's most fertile recruiting territories.

As a player, Wallpher competed at the highest levels of the sport. A standout defender at Towson, she earned IWLCA Third Team All-America honors in 2018, was twice named IWLCA First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region (2017, 2018), and was a three-time First Team All-CAA selection (2016-18). She also helped lead the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2016-2018).

An NCAA Woman of the Year, CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and CAA Female Leadership and Excellence nominee, Wallpher finished her collegiate career among Towson's all-time leaders in caused turnovers and established herself as one of the nation's premier defenders.

Wallpher began her career at UMBC, where she earned America East All-Rookie Team accolades in 2015.

Following her collegiate career, Wallpher played professionally in both Athletes Unlimited and the Women's Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL), earning WPLL All-Star honors and helping lead the Baltimore Brave to the 2019 league championship.

Women's lacrosse was announced as Charlotte's 19th varsity sport program in May 2022 and held its inaugural season of competition in 2025.