Ottawa University (KS) Men's Lacrosse

Coach Beard is in his fourth season as head coach of the OU women's lacrosse program and first has head men's lacrosse coach He has an overall and OU coaching record of 15-13 and a KCAC mark of 6-2. Beard has coached two KCAC Offensive Players of the Year, 15 All-KCAC performers, three KCAC Scholar Athletes, one CSC Academic All-American, and one CSC Academic All-District selection. Beard has served as the head coach of the Ottawa University women’s lacrosse team for the past four seasons, accumulating an overall coaching record of 23-22 and a conference record of 12-4. Under his leadership, the Braves have seen significant individual and team success, including two Conference Players of the Year and 21 All-Conference selections. In his first season in the Heart, Beard led the women’s lacrosse team to a third-place finish in the Heart Tournament Semifinals. Before assuming the role of head coach for the women’s program, Beard spent three years as an assistant coach for the men’s lacrosse team, where he helped guide the Braves to a 24-21 record and a KCAC Championship in 2019. During that time, he coached nine First Team All-KCAC selections and three NAIA Second Team All-Americans. Beard’s experience as an assistant coach, paired with his impressive playing career, has given him invaluable insight into the game. As a player, Beard was a two-time Second Team All-KCAC selection as a defender for the Braves in 2015 and 2016. In his two-year playing career, he appeared in 26 games, scooping up 55 ground balls and causing 30 turnovers. Following his playing career, Beard served as a student assistant during the 2017 season before transitioning into a graduate assistant role for the next two seasons. Beard is an alum of Ottawa University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Studies in 2018. He later completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Ottawa University in 2020.  

Coach Genzen is in his first season with the OU women’s lacrosse program and second with the OU men’s lacrosse program. In 2025, Genzen was the Recruiting Coordinator for the Ottawa men’s lacrosse program, a title that involved on-field coaching duties in addition.  Genzen was a two year member of the Ottawa men’s lacrosse program as a player, making nine appearances in goal and posting a .579 save percentage. Prior to Ottawa, Genzen played and started in three games for Morningside College in 2022. Genzen is an alum of Ottawa University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2025.

Coach Pagliei is in her first season as a graduate assistant coach with the OU women’s lacrosse program after a successful four-year career with the Braves. A native of Winchester, Calif., Pagliei graduated from Ottawa University in June 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science. During her time as a student-athlete, she helped lead the Braves to one of their most competitive stretches in program history. Pagliei started 39 of 41 career games, earning First Team All-KCAC honors in 2023, Second Team All-KCAC honors in 2024, and a tie for All-American recognition in 2023. She was part of back-to-back KCAC Runner-Up finishes and contributed to the team’s No. 13 national ranking during the 2024 season. In addition to her on-field accomplishments, Pagliei brings a strong coaching background to the program. From 2021–2024, she completed a comprehensive internship with the Braves Athletic Performance Center, coaching and supervising athletes across football, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer, cheer, dance, tennis, bowling, track and field, and flag football. Her work included teaching proper lifting technique, implementing sport-specific progressions, ensuring athlete safety, and managing daily weight room operations. Pagliei also gained sport-specific coaching experience as a volunteer lacrosse coach at Chaparral High School in Temecula, Calif., where she led position training, worked extensively with goalies, developed offensive and defensive drill work, and mentored athletes preparing for collegiate play. A strong student in the classroom, Pagliei earned placement on the Dean’s Honor Roll, along with receiving both the Academic Dome Scholarship and Women’s Lacrosse Scholarship throughout her collegiate career. Pagliei is working on her masters from Ottawa University.