When she learned in January that her program had received its first endowment fund ever, Lehigh women’s lacrosse head coach Steph Lazo was thrilled.
“Oh, my gosh,” she recalls saying. “That’s awesome.”
The first-year coach’s thoughts then turned to what the gift would make possible for her student-athletes: better access to healthy food to fuel their workouts and in-game performance, as well as improved equipment.
Lazo immediately shared the good news with Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics Jeremy Gibson.
“Let’s go,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”
The Competitive Advantage
Lazo sees the endowment fund as a direct investment in her student-athletes, one that will shape their day-to-day experience in meaningful ways.
When she started at Lehigh in September 2025, her first priority was ensuring access to nutritious food that would help them perform better on the field and recover faster.
The endowment fund will also help the team buy top-tier lacrosse sticks and goggles.
“Gifts like these not only provide a competitive advantage, but they also enhance the overall student-athlete experience,” Lazo says. “I want my student-athletes to have a world-class experience. I want them to feel valued, supported, and prepared to take on whatever is thrown at them. Gifts like these allow us to accomplish that goal.”
A Historic Gift
The endowment fund was created by Dick Johnson MBA’73, a former Lehigh men’s lacrosse player and retired business owner in Bethlehem who has followed the women’s team for years. When he heard the men’s team had an endowment but the women’s did not, he decided to establish one.
“I said, ‘You got to at least correct this a little bit,’” Johnson says.
Lazo says she’s grateful for Johnson’s generosity and that they’re aligned on how the endowment fund should be used.
“It’s going to have a direct impact,” she says. “Obviously, we have a really rigorous academic schedule here, and the women take that seriously. For them to be able to grab a high-quality snack from the locker room or come in for a great meal before an afternoon or evening game is really going to help us propel our program forward and create an elite environment.”
As Lazo continues building the foundation of the program, she sees the endowment fund as a meaningful step forward.
“We have a great group of women that are hungry to improve,” Lazo says. “It’s a really exciting time to be a Lehigh women’s lacrosse player because these funds are going to directly impact our student-athletes. The program is on the rise.”
