The Official Athletics Site of the Buffalo State Bengals
Four-time All-American player Lindsay (Abbott) Byrnes was named Buffalo State's head women’s lacrosse coach in August 2014 and was promoted to assistant director of athletics and senior woman administrator in 2017.
She has led Buffalo State's women's lacrosse team to a pair of SUNYAC playoff appearances in her first three seasons at the helm and has paced the Bengals to an improved record each season.
Byrnes also oversees the student-athlete support services within the athletics department.
Prior to Buffalo State, Byrnes served as an assistant coach at her alma mater Cortland, helping lead the Red Dragons to a 20-0 start and a No. 1 national ranking in 2014. The previous year, Abbott was an assistant coach at Bates College in another of the nation’s premier Division III women’s lacrosse conferences, the NESCAC. She also has prior experience as a head coach with the BULL Syracuse Youth Lacrosse League.
Byrnes, who earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Cortland, completed her career as the Red Dragons’ all-time leader in points (441), goals (256) and assists (185). Her 441 points rank third all-time in NCAA Div. III history, behind Buffalo State’s Karen Shaddock, who ranks second with 457.
Byrnes was Cortland’s first-ever four-time All-American, earning first team honors as a junior and senior and was selected first team All-SUNYAC four times. She was named SUNYAC Player of the Year twice and earned ECAC Div. III Offensive Player of the Year honors two times.
A native of Onondaga, NY, Byrnes competed in and served as team captain in soccer, basketball and lacrosse at Onondaga Central. She and her husband Mike reside in Buffalo and are expecting their first child.
Updated 12/14/17
