CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Kerry Nease – previously a standout student-athlete at Duke and a former assistant coach at Elon who has played professionally in the WLL and in Australia – has joined the Harvard Women's Lacrosse coaching staff as an assistant coach, Devon Wills, The Carole Kleinfelder Head Coach for Harvard Women's Lacrosse, announced on Thursday.
 
Nease played collegiately at Duke University for four seasons from 2022-25, helping the Blue Devils make three appearances in the NCAA tournament and earning All-ACC and IWLCA All-Region accolades before beginning a professional playing career in Australia as well as with the WLL's Boston Guard. Nease served as an assistant coach at Elon University during the 2026 season.
 
At Elon in 2026, Nease helped the Phoenix finish fourth in the CAA standings to qualify for the CAA Tournament for the third straight season, while also coaching three All-CAA selections.
 
As a student-athlete at Duke, Nease finished her career fourth in program history with 226 career draw controls, while earning both Second Team All-ACC and IWLCA South Second Team All-Region as a senior in 2025. She played in all 57 of the Blue Devils' games across the 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons, leading the team in draw controls as both a junior (88 draw controls) and senior (112 draw controls.) Her 112 draw controls in 2025 ranked fifth most in a single season in program history. Nease helped Duke make NCAA tournament appearances in 2022, 2024, and 2025, including reaching the NCAA quarterfinals in 2025.
 
A standout in the classroom, Nease garnered ACC Academic Honor Roll accolades four times (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), All-ACC Academic Team plaudits three times (2023, 2024, 2025), and IWLCA Academic Honor Roll laurels twice (2024, 2025).
 
Nease began her professional playing career in Australia, winning a club premiership in Melbourne with Footscray Lacrosse Club in August 2025 before competing with the Adelaide Redbellies in Lacrosse Australia Major League Sixes. Nease started her career in the WLL with the Boston Guard in 2026.
 
A native of Richmond, Virginia and a product of Douglas S. Freeman High School, Nease earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Duke in 2025.