OSKALOOSA — William Penn University Athletics Director Grant Farris is proud to announce the hiring of Chace Witherow as the new Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach.
Witherow comes back to WPU after spending the 2026 season as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at fellow NAIA institution University of the Cumberlands (Ky.).
While at UC, Witherow helped lead the team to an appearance at the NAIA National Championship. He guided one First-Team All-American and two all-conference performers.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chace back to lead our men’s lacrosse program,” Farris said. “He understands the championship standard we have established at William Penn, and has played a significant role in our recent success. His familiarity with our program and vision for the future give us great confidence that we will continue to compete at the highest level in the NAIA.”
Witherow has previous experience in Oskaloosa, both as a player (2023) and coach (2024, 2025). In his time on the Statesmen sidelines, he led 11 players to all-conference recognition and five to All-America laurels. A defensive-minded coach, two of his players were named Heart of America Athletic Conference Defensive Players of the Year.
With his assistance, William Penn won one regular season league title and two tournament crown, while appearing in two NAIA National Championships. The Statesmen also earned a program-best ranking of No. 4 in the nation (tied in 2026), while leading the country in goals against average, ground balls, and clear percentage.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to return to William Penn University as the next Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach,” Witherow said. “William Penn has been instrumental in my journey as both a player and a coach. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the next chapter of this program.”
A 2022 graduate of Cumberlands with a degree in Sports Management, he received his Master’s of Sports Management from William Penn in 2024. Witherow was a second-team all-Heart honoree at WPU in 2023, while collecting four academic all-Appalachian Athletic Conference laurels and two NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards.
“First, I would like to thank Athletic Director Grant Farris for believing in me and entrusting me with this responsibility,” Witherow said. “His confidence in my vision for this program means a great deal, and I’m excited to work alongside him to continue elevating lacrosse at William Penn. I also want to thank Luke Christiansen for everything he has meant to me and this program. Luke was not just my head coach, he was a mentor who invested in my growth and helped prepare me for this opportunity. It is a privilege to follow in his footsteps as only the second head coach in program history.”
Witherow also served as the director of operations as a player at Cumberlands from 2019-2022.
As a prep, Witherow was a Brine National High School All-American Team Georgia and was a two-time All-State player in Tennessee.
