Kara Mupo leaves Stony Brook women's lacrosse program for assistant position at Stanford

Newsday chronicled the Stony Brook women's lacrosse team's 2018 season, both on and off the field. The Seawolves, comprised mostly of Long Island natives, reached No. 1 in a national poll for the first time in program history. See how it unfolded as they set out to "prove people wrong." Credit: Newsday / Casey Musarra

By Kenny DeJohnkenny.dejohn@newsday.comSeptember 4, 2018

Kara Mupo, a former Stony Brook women’s lacrosse assistant coach, accepted a position as an assistant and offensive coordinator at Stanford on Aug. 24, the next step in what she hopes will be a career as a collegiate head coach.

Mupo, 27, played high school lacrosse at Rocky Point and won two national championships at Northwestern. She said she’s excited to impart her knowledge of the game to her players at Stanford.

“I immediately was eager to take this opportunity and see what Stanford had to offer,” Mupo said. “It’s a very prestigious academic school. The whole experience of Stanford speaks for itself.”

Stanford head coach Amy Bokker reached out after her former offensive coordinator, Chelsea Gamble, accepted the position of head coach at Oregon. Stony Brook coach Joe Spallina said Mupo thrived in a developmental role in her one year as an assistant with the Seawolves.

“She did a great job with the goalies, shooting with the goalies and doing the individual development with some of our younger players,” he said. “She worked extensively with our freshman class.”

Before Stony Brook, Mupo spent two years as an assistant at William & Mary. She plays professionally for the New England Command of the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League and led the league in goals this season.

She said the decision to leave Stony Brook was difficult, but she cherished her time roaming the sidelines of LaValle Stadium.

“Joe has done an amazing job building that program from the bottom up, and I couldn’t be more thankful for my experience there,” Mupo said. “It was a world-class experience there, and it was tough.”