Vautrin '17 (left) and Lewis '14 (right) earned Coach of the Year Awards

Two Lasell University alumni-turned-coaches, Jeff Vautrin ’17 (women’s volleyball) and Jared Lewis ’14 (men’s soccer), earned Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach of the Year awards after stellar fall seasons.

Vautrin, head men’s and women’s volleyball coach, has led the women’s program at Lasell for three years. The team held a 19-14 overall record and 10-3 GNAC conference record this season, and won a GNAC Quarterfinals playoff match before exiting in the semis. Under Vautrin’s leadership, the team won two Rookie of the Week GNAC accolades and a Libero of the Week honor. Six players were named to All-Conference teams at the conclusion of the season, including Maddie Caro ’26, GNAC Rookie of the Year.

“It was a great honor to be awarded Coach of the Year,” says Vautrin. “Receiving the award at my alma mater makes it that much more special. Going from eight in the GNAC with an overall record of 9-23 the year before I took this position, to third in the conference with a record of 19-14 is no easy task.”

Vautrin acknowledged his team’s hard work throughout the last two seasons. “This year, it started to pay off. I look forward to working with these athletes every day and am excited to see what we can build from that.”

Lewis, in his first year at the helm of the men’s soccer team, led the Lasers to a 6-10-3 overall record and 4-5-3 conference record. The team earned a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and touted two Players of the Week and two All-Conference team honors at the end of the season.

“I’m honored to have been voted Coach of the Year by my peers at GNAC and am thankful to everyone who made this possible,” he said, adding that the team’s main objectives this year were to improve every day and make the GNAC tournament.

“Through the commitment and consistency of our coaches, players, and trainers, we were able to achieve those goals and set the foundation for success on and off the field,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for more in my first year as head coach, and this award is just a bonus.” He shared gratitude for the family, friends, alumni, coaches, players, and staff who played a role in the team’s success.