SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida has named Heather Ballew as its Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, turning to one of the Gulf Coast's most respected program-builders to lead the Mighty Banyans into their second season of intercollegiate competition. Ballew brings more than two decades of coaching experience and a national reputation for growing sustainable, competitive lacrosse programs from the ground up.
Ballew, who joined New College as an assistant coach in October, now assumes leadership of the program from current head coach Tom Flynn. Flynn, the architect of the Mighty Banyans' launch, is stepping down to attend to family matters and will conclude his tenure at New College on Friday, November 28, before relocating to New Jersey to be closer to his family.
"We're excited to elevate Heather Ballew as our new head women's lacrosse coach," said Vice President of Athletics Mariano Jimenez.
"Heather brings tremendous experience, leadership, and program-building insight dating back to her foundational work at Clemson. She has already earned the trust and respect of our student-athletes and staff, and she is exactly the kind of builder we want guiding the Mighty Banyans as we move from 'startup mode' into long-term growth."
Jimenez also expressed appreciation for Flynn's role in launching the program. "We are incredibly grateful to Coach Tom Flynn for building our program to this point," he said. "He laid the foundation for women's lacrosse at New College and did so with integrity and care for our student-athletes. While we will miss him, there is nothing more important than family, and he leaves with our full appreciation, respect, and support as he returns home to New Jersey."
Ballew said she is eager to build on that foundation. "I'm thrilled to take the helm of the New College of Florida Women's Lacrosse program and build on the strong groundwork that Coach Flynn and this first group of student-athletes have established," she said. "This is a program with tremendous potential. We're going to keep strengthening our culture, expanding our footprint in the community, and building a competitive, resilient team that represents NCF with excellence on and off the field."
Her impact on lacrosse in the region extends far beyond one sideline. Ballew has spent the last five years building the Sarasota High School Girls Lacrosse program, ending last season with an impressive 11-4 record.
Ballew is a founder and current Director of SOTA LAX (Gulf Coast Lacrosse), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the development and growth of youth and high school lacrosse along Florida's Gulf Coast. She has also served as Director of Operations for True Florida Girls Lacrosse, overseeing state-level teams for all ages and regional programs that further deepen the talent pipeline across the state.
Ballew leads as a role model as she competed in the most recent Women's World Lacrosse Championship 18+ Festival tournament in Towson, MD, earning the Team Athena Co-MVP award in 2022.
As a collegiate player, Ballew was a standout midfielder and leader at Clemson University, where she was a four-year starter, team president, captain, and team MVP. She helped guide Clemson to multiple Southeastern Women's Lacrosse League (SWLL) conference playoff appearances and co-led the university's first two Title IX varsity elevation applications—experience that underscores her long-standing involvement in building and legitimizing women's lacrosse at the institutional level.
A native of lacrosse hotbed, Annapolis, Maryland, Ballew has called Sarasota home since 2019 and lives locally with husband, Jonathan, and their four children, Kyla, Kellan, Kase and Kora.
The 2026 season will mark the second year of Women's Lacrosse at New College, as the Mighty Banyans continue to build momentum within The Sun Conference and the NAIA under Ballew's leadership.
