MINNEAPOLIS -- Hemie Collier, who has served as an assistant coach for the Cornell College (Iowa) women's lacrosse team for the past seven years, has been named as the new head coach for Augsburg University's women's lacrosse team, the university announced on Friday.
 
Collier has served as associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Cornell since the 2018 season. The Rams have had double-digit win totals in each of the last two campaigns, finishing 13-4 overall and 3-2 in Midwest Lacrosse Conference play this past season.
 
"I would like to thank Athletic Director Jeff Swenson and the women's lacrosse program for giving me the opportunity to be the next head coach at Augsburg. I am more than excited to start this journey with this program. I will do everything in my power to bring some energy, excitement, and quality lacrosse play to the institution and the WIAC. I am looking forward to learning, growing, and finding success on and off the field with our student-athletes." Collier said.
 
Collier coached a Cornell defense that has ranked in the top-30 among all NCAA Division III women's lacrosse programs nationally in several categories. In 2024, the Rams finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally in ground balls per-game, No. 7 in total ground balls, No. 18 in caused turnovers, No. 20 in caused turnovers per-game, and No. 28 in scoring defense.
 
Two of his defenders earned MLC Defensive Player of the Year honors (2023, 2024), and teams he coached have produced 13 All-MLC honorees in the past seven seasons.
 
In addition to his coaching role, Collier has most recently served as Senior Diversity Officer and Director of Intercultural Life at Cornell, a college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. He has chaired the Cornell Diversity Committee and served as co-chair of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Diversity Officials Committee.
 
Collier has a wide variety of coaching experience, not only in lacrosse, but also in football and track and field. He served as an assistant coach for both track and field and football at Simpson College (Iowa) from 2010-13, as a football assistant coach at Concordia University-Ann Arbor (Mich.) from 2013-15, and as a football assistant coach at St. Cloud State (Minn.) in 2015. He moved to Cornell as Assistant Director of Intercultural Life in 2016.
 
Collier played on the football and track and field teams at Luther College (Iowa), where he earned his bachelor's degree in history in 2007. He also served as an assistant coach in football and track and field there for two seasons. He earned his master's degree in educational leadership from Concordia-Ann Arbor, and is currently pursuing his doctorate in higher education at Concordia University-River Forest (Ill.).
 
Collier replaces Mikayla Knudson, who served as interim head coach in the 2024 season after succeeding Kathryn Knippenberg, who coached the Auggies during their first 10 seasons as a varsity program. Augsburg finished 2-13 overall and 0-5 in MLC play in 2024, and will move to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as an associate member in women's lacrosse in 2025.