The Lafayette athletic department announced in a press release Monday that women’s lacrosse head coach Alison Fisher ‘01 “will not be renewed for the 2020 season.”

The announcement featured a quote by athletic director Sherryta Freeman thanking Fisher, in a format reminiscent of the release announcing former volleyball coach Terri Dadio Campbell’s release.

The release does not explain why Fisher is leaving the program, whose decision it was, or if it is a contract with Fisher that will not be renewed. Philly Lacrosse reported that Lafayette did not renew Fisher’s contract. It is unclear if that was confirmed to them by the Lafayette athletic department.

Senior director of communications Scott Morse said the department would not comment on the decision further than what’s in the press release.

The release for Campbell was similarly vague, and was later discovered to be the department’s decision to let her go.

In the department’s “strategic plan” for Freeman’s first five years, it is specified that a goal is to “increase resources” for women’s teams to “support equity in scholarships and student-athlete experience.” In addition, part of the plan stated a goal to “increase funding and support to recruit and retain talented women coaches and administrators.”

This is the second long-term woman coach to depart since Freeman joined the department. Both Fisher and Campbell are alumnae of Lafayette sports, who coached at the school for over 10 years. The announcements of their removal from the programs were within a month of their respective seasons ending. 

Like Campbell, Fisher spent time working for other colleges before making her way back to Lafayette. Fisher was an assistant coach for Lafayette in 2002, before working for La Salle and Princeton, and returning to Lafayette in 2009.

Fisher’s overall record is 63-125, with a 21-61 mark within the conference. She led the team to the conference tournament twice, in 2013 and 2017, but failed to make it through the first round. The release explains that the search for a new head coach will commence “immediately,” and did not appoint an interim head coach during the search process. 

In the 2019 season, the women’s lacrosse team recorded five wins to 12 losses, with a 1-8 Patriot League record. In the conference, the team faced two ranked teams in Navy and Loyola Maryland. Other than a 10-goal loss to Boston University, all other conference games were either close, within two goals, or a win.

Clarification (5/10/19): This article originally stated that it is unclear whether it is “the” contract with Fisher which will be renewed. The correct wording is that it is unclear whether it is “a” contract with Fisher which be renewed.