Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Maddison Lesher-James, the only ever three-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a DI assistant immediately after graduation, joined head coach Jill Batcheller at Villanova in August 2021 and was promoted to associate head coach in September 2025.

The former Maddy Lesher arrived on the Main Line after previously serving as an assistant coach under Batcheller for the last six years at Drexel University and Bryant University.

In her final season at Drexel, she directed a defensive effort that ranked 35th in the country, holding opponents to 11 goals per game and causing 7.19 turnovers per game. At Bryant, the team led the NEC in goals against average and save percentage in 2017 and finished second in the conference in 2018.

As a student-athlete, Lesher was a defender at Loyola Maryland from 2013-2016. She was named the first ever three-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time defensive All-American. She was drafted by the Baltimore Ride in the United Women's Lacrosse League draft in May 2016 and previously played for the Philadelphia Fire in the Women's Professional Lacrosse League.

Lesher earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Loyola in 2016.