Averett’s Stevens Inducted into Western New York Chapter of USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame

Posted on February 6th, 2024 by Bill Dyer

By Drew Wilson/Director of Athletics Communications

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Meg Stevens, Averett University’s vice president, director of athletics and campus operations, was one of 12 members inducted into the Western New York Chapter of USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame on Feb. 3.

Stevens, who is in her 11th year at Averett, previously served as Buffalo State’s women’s lacrosse head coach for 11 seasons from 2003-13, where she accumulated an overall record of 109-65 (.626) and led the Bengals to the SUNYAC postseason in six of her last eight seasons as coach. In 2012, she led her squad to its first-ever NCAA playoff berth, including a first round victory and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Western New York Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame,” Stevens said when the honor was announced. “I have fond memories of my time as head coach at Buffalo State and with the Buffalo Wings Lacrosse Club. Those experiences helped develop me into the person I am today, and I am grateful.”

Stevens and the rest of the Class of 2024 inductees were inducted at a ceremony and also honored during the National Lacrosse League game between the Buffalo Bandits and the Rochester Knighthawks that evening. Stevens joined Don Boyd, Mike Carbery, Ed Greenway, Joe Jastrzemski, Claudia Jimerson, Richie Kilgour, Pat Lally, Kris LaPaglia, Kathy Majeski, Charles Maxwell “Butch” Stainton and Wendy Stone as members of the 2024 Hall of Fame class. The mission of the Chapter Hall of Fame is “to honor men and women, past and present, who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of the sport of lacrosse to our way of life” in Western New York.

With Stevens at the helm of Buffalo State’s program, the 2009 Bengals completely rewrote the school record books, breaking or tying 19 school bests — including wins in a season, going 16-2 and winning the SUNYAC regular season title with a 9-0 regular season league record.  Stevens was recognized as SUNYAC Coach of the Year for the second time after her squad was recognized in the national top-20 poll for the first time and made its first-ever appearance in the conference title game. In 2010 and 2012, the Bengals again appeared in the national top-20 coaches’ poll. Stevens has also mentored and recruited two All-Americans and also had players earn All-SUNYAC honors 28 times.

After leading the Bengals to a school record for wins in a season in her first year, she watched her Bengals better that mark in her second season as the team secured its first-ever SUNYAC playoff berth as one of the conference’s top teams. Stevens was recognized for her efforts as the SUNYAC and IWLCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2004. Following the 2005 season, she coached in the Division III North-South All-Star Game. Stevens led the Bengals back to the SUNYAC postseason in 2006 and 2008 before the banner year in 2009. Stevens was also promoted to Assistant Director of Athletics for Student Services in 2009.

During 11 years in Buffalo, Stevens not only coached at Buffalo State. She was a founding member and head coach of the Buffalo Wings Lacrosse Club — a club created for girls of all levels to learn the game and also compete at high levels. The club accumulated over 150 players over the years and was assisted by parent volunteers and coaches, many of whom were Stevens’ players at Buffalo State.

Stevens was hired at Buffalo State after spending four seasons as an integral part of Cortland’s nationally ranked lacrosse program. The native of Delmar, NY, was the seventh coach in the team’s history dating back to its inception in 1994.

In addition to coaching women’s lacrosse at Buffalo State, Stevens served as the university’s assistant director of athletics from 2009-2013. During her time at Buffalo State, she also was the director of the university’s CHAMPS/Life Skills program and was an advisor for its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

As a player at Cortland, she helped the Red Dragons to three-consecutive SUNYAC Championships as well as three-straight trips to the NCAA playoffs. As a senior, she tallied 39 goals and 14 assists in 19 games, including scoring a pair of goals in the team’s first-ever victory in the NCAA postseason. Stevens spent one year as the head coach of the Bethlehem High School girls’ junior varsity lacrosse program, and assisted with the varsity program that advanced to the state semifinals.

In 2013, Stevens left Buffalo State to become the director of athletics at Averett. During her tenure, Averett has added 10 sports programs including men’s and women’s lacrosse. Stevens was promoted to vice president, director of athletics and campus operations in 2020. Stevens has earned national recognition after being named the Nike Division III Administrator of the Year by the Women Leaders in Sports in 2022 being selected among NACDA’s 2020-21 Athletics Directors of the Year in 2021. In 2023, Stevens began her one-year term as president of Women Leaders in Sports.