University of Pennsylvania Athletics

Ivy League Championships (8)
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023

Kerri Whitaker enters her fifth season on the sideline as the associate head coach for Penn Women's Lacrosse, after spending the previous nine seasons as an assistant. Since joining the coaching staff, Whitaker has been a part of eight Ivy League championship teams, three Ivy League Tournament championship teams, and 11 NCAA Championship appearances including quarterfinal runs in 2016 and 2024.

Working primarily with the attack, Whitaker has guided Penn players to 15 of the top 23 single-season goal-scoring marks in program history since arriving at Penn in 2011.

The Quakers have posted the top-three goal-scoring marks in program history as a team in 2018, 2019 and 2023, including a record 268 in 2023. Offensively, Gabby Rosenzweig set the single-season Penn record in both points (98) and assists (63) in 2019, while she was joined by midfielder Erin Barry as an IWLCA All-American. Rosenzweig followed up in 2020 as the program's career-points record holder (247). In 2023, Niki Miles set the single-season Penn record for goals (63), earning her first-team IWLCA All-Region and making her a unanimous pick by the coaches as Ivy League Attacker of the Year. Miles then repeated as first-team IWLCA All-Region in 2024 and also was second-team IWLCA All-America in addition to earning honorable mention All-America recognition from both Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine for the second straight season.

Penn's 2024 season was a special one, the Quakers scored 252 goals en route to a 15-5 record, a ranking as high as No. 5 by the IWLCA, and a run to the NCAA quarterfinal round. Anna Brandt and Niki Miles scored 60 and 54 goals, respectively, numbers that were second and fifth on the program's single-season list, while Erika Chung dished out 52 assists which is third on the program's single-season chart. At the Ivy League Tournament, Brandt set ILT records for goals in a game (8 in a semifinal win over Princeton) and a tournament (12), while Chung set ILT marks for assists in a game (6 vs. Princeton) and a tournament (9).

Penn showed why it should be considered a threat in 2023, putting together a 14-5 record, rolling a clean sweep through the Ivy League at 7-0 and adding two more wins in the Ivy League tournament to win the title, and booking a trip to the NCAA championships for the 16th time in program history. The Quakers topped UConn in the first round, 13-8, before falling to Boston College on the Eagles' home turf, 9-7, in the second round. The Eagles went on to the national championship game. The 2023 roster, coming back in nearly full force for 2024, set the program record for goals in a season (268), most goals per game in a season (14.11), and finished in the IWLCA ranking at No. 13. Niki Miles flexed her offensive muscles in the season, setting the program record in goals with 63, while Anna Brandt came in at fourth with 58. The Quakers raked in postseason awards for their efforts including a clean sweep of the Ivy League major awards: Miles as the unanimous Attacker of the Year, Brandt as the Midfielder of the Year, Izzy Rohr as the unanimous Defender of the Year, and Corbitt as the unanimous Coach of the Year. Penn had 10 Quakers make All-Ivy, while Miles, Brandt and Rohr all earned spots on IWLCA All-Region. 

The Quakers were back to full competition in 2022 following two years of sidelined seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic. The team won six games including a one-goal victory over No. 24 Drexel. The Quakers earned six All-Ivy honors led by Ellen O'Callaghan, who garnered first team accolades before being named to IWLCA All-Region and an Inside Lacrosse Media All-American.

The 2020 season was unchartered territory for the entire college sports world, as all Spring sports were cut short due to the worldwide outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19. On March 11, 2020, the Ivy League canceled all spring sports across the conference, bringing the Quakers' season to a close with a 4-1 record. Through those five games, the offensive produced 69 goals and 30 assists. 

The pandemic carried into the 2021 season, limiting the Quakers to just one game in which they defeated La Salle, 16-11.

In 2018, All-American Gabby Rosenzweig tied the program record with 85 points, while freshman Zoe Belodeau set a new program record for goals (45), assists (35) and points (80) in a season by a rookie. 2018 produced three of the top goal-scoring seasons in program history, led by All-American Erin Barry whose 51 goals were third-most ever in a season by a Quaker. Five of Penn’s nine All-Ivy selections in 2018 played key roles in the attacking unit.

In 2017, Whitaker worked with a pair of All-Ivy attackers in first-team All-Ivy selection Emily Rogers-Healion and second-team All-Ivy choice Caroline Cummings.

The 2016 season saw the Quakers post one of the most dangerous attack groups in the nation led by Nina Corcoran - who set Penn and Ivy League records for assists (58) in a season while also setting a new Penn record for points in a single season with 85 en route to a Tewaaraton Award nomination, second-team All-American honors, and an Ivy League Attacker of the Year selection.

In 2015, Whitaker worked with Penn's dynamic duo of Tory Bensen (64 points) and Nina Corcoran (61 points) who posted the fifth and sixth highest single-season point totals in program history. Bensen's 58 goals in 2015 tied Penn's single-season record while Corcoran's 40 assists at the time set a new program record.

Whitaker coached her first Ivy League Attacker of the Year during 2015 in Tory Bensen. Bensen also became the second offensive player to earn All-American honors under Whitaker with her second team selection, joining Erin Brennan (2011).

Whitaker has had four members of her attacking group named IWLCA All-American, 11 members of Penn's attacking unit named All-Region and 26 named All-Ivy.

Prior to her time at Penn, Whitaker most recently served as head coach at Columbia University from 2002-10, where she led the Lions to a 52-68 record including the program's first-ever winning season in 2009. While leading the Lions, Whitaker coached 21 All-Ivy players and all nine All-Region performers in Columbia history. A glance at Columbia's 100+ point list shows ten players - all of whom played under Whitaker in the Big Apple.

Whitaker is familiar with the Ivy League, graduating from Brown in 1996 after an All-America campaign with the Bears in '96. She was twice named All-Ivy and achieved Academic All-Ivy honors in her senior season.

Upon graduation, Whitaker began her coaching career at Syracuse University where she served as an assistant from 1996-2001. While at Syracuse, Whitaker helped take a new program and turn it into a national contender. The Orange won the 1999 ECAC Championship in its second year of play in the league and twice reached the NCAA Tournament during Whitaker's tenure.

In addition to collegiate coaching experience, Whitaker has helped guide Team USA as well. From 2006-09, she was an assistant coach with the United States National Development Team. In addition to planning training sessions and coordinating offensive schemes, Whitaker was part of the selection process, evaluating the best players in the nation.