"Anyone who can honestly say this coach makes them a better player or person is fooling themselves. She may have a passion for the sport, but that does not translate into being a good coach. She is not honest (lying directly to her team about getting the DUI), has poor communication, and doesn't seem to understand how to manage her players physically or emotionally. She does not have good game awareness or an awareness of how to take care of her girls for the season. She runs her starting players into the ground and doesn't make adjustments during the game. She does not take any responsibility for losses, it is always someone else's fault and she will berate her players and directly demean girls in front of the entire team. She is negative, and honestly, makes the team play worse. Doesn't know how to lift a team up, but instead tells them that they are a waste of her time. No one would blame these girls for entering the transfer portal, just like so many girls did last year. If you are looking for a positive lacrosse experience in college, I would highly recommend going elsewhere."

"honestly funny seeing Theresa trying to save her career by creating an extremely easy schedule, let's see if they actually win some games. But sadly, with this easy schedule it will not set them up properly to win any of the conference games. Good luck and I wish the players stayed safe this spring who knows what they are in for. Still shocking to me that this woman has her job, ODU should be ashamed. "

"Coach T is 100% dedicated to ODU, its lacrosse program, its players, and its future. She has definitely had some bumps along the way & has been SO very wrongly accused of things, but she keeps going. I have never seen a coach more excited, passionate, and focused on changing a program for the better. She studies the game constantly and works endlessly on a daily basis with every move she makes trying to make ODU Lacrosse better. She took over a program that needed help. When she started developing the program and expecting D1 level athletics out of the players, the players got angry…..as you can see from the majority of the testimonies on here. Coach T doesn’t deserve the treatment the old players & parents have done to her on this site. She asked for better. She asked for D1 level performance, and they fell short. I can’t wait to see what this program accomplishes after a few years when her recruitment and her systems start to shine. She is definitely a serious coach that wants to win, but she is also kind, and fun, and silly. She is honest, and is ALWAYS there for her players both on and off the field. Coach T and ODU was the best decision my daughter ever made. She is a great coach and ODU is a great school! I was so pleasantly surprised at how well all of the athletes are treated at ODU and how dedicated & supportive the Athletic Dept. is to all of their athletes. ODU Athletics is definitely on the rise, and Coach T is working hard to help make that happen. "

"Anyone who is following these ratings closely understands that every time there is a negative review, the coach has requested one of her favorites to come post a glowing review about her. All of the things that have been mentioned above about her lack of knowledge of the game, ability to coach, overall character are accurate. More than one of her players have said I almost lost my love of the game because of her. You can be an intense college coach and win the respect of your players. It’s all about the way you carry yourself. The aforementioned behavior of late to practice, pyblic intoxication, almost missed flights due to camping out in the airport bar, being told to sit down by the flight attendants, the lies (so many lies) and most of all her now very public driving record, Unfortunately, for your “glowing reviews” her behavior can’t be changed. She knows she was wrong over and over, she can’t change that and won’t! But posting complimentary reviews here is makeup on a goat! You’re making it worse! Folks are not just looking at the rating number. They are. reading the reviews and can decide for themselves what is fluff and what is substance. ODU had a very hard time filling the job after they fired the last Coach. So it makes sense that they didn’t fire her. She’s lucky enough; she’s done a great job making herself look foolish please don’t make it worse! "

"Theresa's coaching is toxic and extremely manipulative. People saying that some people can't handle "intense and honest" coaching has no idea what coaching actually is. These statements are coming from players parents where their kid actually plays (most of the time those players shouldn't even be on the field). Theresa is emotionally immature and cannot handle the pressure, therefore she lashes out on her players and creates a toxic environment. She doesn't develop any players and constantly pins her players against each other. It is sad to see that ODU has done nothing and has made zero changes and is accepting this behavior from a HEAD coach. It shows that not only this program will not move forward in a positive manner but also the athletic department as a whole. In conclusion, Theresa Walton is a narcissist with extreme ego issues and her players are her punching bags. "

"My daughter has been on Theresa’s team for 5 years. Theresa is not without flaws as any human being is. She is honest, gritty, caring and she follows through with what she says she will. She gave my daughter a chance and I am grateful for that. Highly recommended if your daughter can handle intensity and honest coaching. "

"First, I think that the ODU athletics department did a terrible job handling this last season of absolute chaos created by Theresa Walton. Parents, as well as athletes, went to the athletics department multiple times about this coach explaining how she was ruining many of these young girls’ college athletic careers and mental states. She was responsible for ending a player’s career after pushing her to play in a fall ball game too soon after an injury, injuring her further and permanently ending any chance of ever playing again. Any seasoned coach would have known that it was a bad idea, and would have also listened to the athletic trainer’s advice of not putting her in the game. In addition to the many complaints about her character as a coach, during this past season she got a DUI at 6:45 am on her way to an 8am practice, resulting in her being detained in jail for 16 hours and not showing up for an important practice. ODU deserves a coach that will serve as a role model for her athletes and this was just unacceptable. Theresa Walton has proven to be a terrible leader and person in general. Her behaviors are inexcusable. During her time with her players she asked for alcohol at tailgates to take on the bus ride home, got drunk in the airport while chaperoning the team to and from away games, hopped seats while the plane was taking off, and sent videos of her being drunk to players. This is not a person who demonstrates care for the well-being of herself or her athletes. Theresa acted in ways that were not professional and showed no care for her athletes personally. She did not care about the players’ academic standings, she openly gossiped about players to other players, she appeared to play favorites with some players over others. All of her players should have felt valued and important and this was not the case. Coach Theresa Walton is nowhere close to being a good role model and should not be involved in leading the young women on ODU’s lacrosse team, or any other team. The comments that are backing up this woman are honestly comical and hold absolutely no merit. I think by this point we all know what goes on behind the scenes. I would never put my daughter in a situation to be mentally abused by this so called coach. The foul language that comes out of this woman’s mouth is a disgrace. She made her players to feel small and question their abilities instead of teaching them to be better. Her philosophy to become a winning program is sick and backwards. In order to lead a team to victory, you need to treat all of your players with respect, not tear them down. This coach has very little IQ for the game and coaching in itself. If she did, ODU would have won more games this year. All of the girls were recruited to play D1 for a reason. People play better when they are having fun, given confidence, and shown support and respect. Something that this coach is not capable of giving. Because of this, I’m firmly convinced Theresa Walton will never again have a winning team."

"Coach T knows how to push players to be their best. She puts our team in the best position to compete. She doesn't play favorites, she wants to win, I want to win and if that means players who aren’t ready yet don’t get minutes- that’s fine. She creates a good team culture because it’s not about individual players, it’s about how we all come together to compete as a team. She won’t be a good coaching fit if you constantly make excuses. This is D1. She is an awesome coach if you want to improve your game play and IQ. She’s an excellent coach if you want to build a winning team culture. Reading the comments on here just sucks especially for a someone like Coach T who has done so much for us over the last two years. And trying to attack her character anonymously online is unfair and embarrassing to the program. What sucks the most is we’re still talking about this 3 months later. I’m just excited for the fall and to get back on the field representing ODU Lacrosse in a positive way. Let’s be real the only reason people come on here is to complain. "

"Drunk aggressive bipolar abusive unstable "

"I just think it’s crazy that people see her as a caring and passionate coach. This coach never shows up to practice on time, shows up hungover most of the time, drinks in the airport when she is repping Odu and is responsible for 30 girls, then proceeded to get a DUI. Our scouts for the other team were crap and would only have a few sentences on them and they would literally say, “run fast and catch the ball” and that would be it. If she cared so much she would have never put her own team at risk, ruin the team/schools reputation, and get a DUI. If she really wanted to win a game she would be showing up to practice on time. There’s no excuse to her behavior, she’s a grown adult. "

"My daughter was coached by Coach Walton who helped develop her to be a to player who still holds records today. She is a two time all American and conference defensive player of the year every year she played. After my daughter completed her undergraduate degree Covid allowed her to continue an extra year.. Coach Walton continued to follow her and gave her the confidence to play and win a national championship, getting on the all tournament team. She then started a program that won the regular season championship. When an opportunity arose for her to coach in a more competitive conference she accepted that opportunity. It must have been difficult for her to make the decision to leave the program she started to tackle a problem that existed with unknown team dynamics and losing culture. I was impressed after she had a losing record she chose a more difficult schedule to help the team be more competitive in their conference. I can’t wait to see impacts the program with her recruits that are committed to the demand of division one lacrosse. I can’t wait to watch her next season! "

"The last two reviews were clearly written by one or two of the “favorites.” There is a reason why 8 players transferred out this year and were all players that were there for more than one season under her hire. This website is blowing up because she has been charged with a DUI. Open container and refusing a sobriety test as per the online Virginia court case website. What more can be indicative of her true character? I certainly DO NOT want this coach building my character! Not only a DUI, but being visibly drunk on an away trip to Cincinnati with the team and being told to sit down by flight attendants upon takeoff. Those who were not at ODU for her first season and only transferred in for her second season did not witness this childish behavior. A true coach is able to utilize and mold the players that she inherits from previous coaches, not only the ones that she handpicks. Obviously her recruits or “favorites” that were brought on for the 2024 season did not help to turn it into a winning program, only tallying up even a worse record. "

"For the last year of my career, I decided to transfer strictly to play for Coach T at ODU. I have had the opportunity of meeting her before my decision to transfer out of my previous school (which was a winning program) and knew that she was the coach that I wanted and needed to accomplish my goals and to help me leave the legacy that I wanted. And she did just that. Everyone bases a program off of what a teams record is yet, have no idea the heart, soul, love, and time that these coaches put in to try and change that perspective. To keep in mind that Coach T has now only been the head coach of this ODU program for two seasons and not only that but coaching individuals who she did not recruit and they (the players) did not commit to her. That does make a difference. I knew exactly who Coach T was as a head coach (which is a tough, passionate, all-in, honest coach) when I decided to commit to play for her. I wanted what she had to offer me, for those who are commenting nasty and incredibly untruthful things on this website are those who did not sign up for her. I have never learned more IQ from another Coach than Coach T. She asked everyone what their goals were individually and as a team, and though some of our team goals were not met she put in all her effort to make sure she could help accomplish the individual goals. Some call her mean, brutal, and lack of empathy….I call it a D1 Coach that wants to succeed. Pick your poison but good luck finding a team that has a winning program with a head Coach that isn’t all the things that Coach T is. "

"Coach Walton is a character builder. She challenges me to be the best player I can be, even if I don’t believe in myself sometimes. It has been difficult, the team has been slumped in a losing culture but Coach Walton and her staff are working tirelessly to turn it around. I want to be part of the new winning culture with Coach Walton. She has high expectations for us and I appreciate that- how else am I supposed to become a better player or better teammate if she doesn’t challenge me? She balances the intensity with open communication, I have had issues and I was able to call, text, email or drop by her office and she made time to hear my struggles and help me through. Most importantly, Coach Walton is open and honest about making mistakes. She held herself accountable in front of the entire team before our last game and took responsibility for her actions. I won’t get that level of transparency from any other program or coach. I respect Coach Walton and I will continue giving her and this program my best, just as she does for all of us. I am proud to play for Coach Walton- she makes me a better player and a better person. "

"She is a disaster both personally and professionally! Left her previous position while a scandal was brewing to take the job at ODU. A good player does not make a good coach and I'm not even sure she was a good player! She does not care about academics AT ALL! She definitely has her favorites and made promises to our younger teammates about money and then brings in older players who haven't seen minutes in the previous season and then uses all our money on them! She doesn't care about our metal health, you could say she bullied us. On our plane trips she could be found in the airport bar with her assistants until the final call for the flight. That was just foreshadowing to her 6:45 AM DUI arrest 2 days before our final game. She was 2 hours from where she had been partying the night before and 1.5 hours from campus. She spent 16 hours in jail when she w supposed to be doing a team building activity with us. Her 90 days in jail was suspended and she can't drive for 18 months. So, now the university will waste more money on her recruiting visits because she will have to go everywhere with an assistant who is hopefully old enough to rent a car. The university is as much to blame for not firing her like most schools do when a coach gets a DUI. Our team chemistry is not great and the number of teammates that are in the portal, along with our losing conference record should be enough to tell you to STAY AWAY!"

"This coach is disorganized and chaotic. Practice is at 8:30, and she is getting into the building at 8:35. This season has been one of the most disastrous seasons I've been a part of and I honestly didn't think it could get worse than her getting a DUI during our last week. She has created a toxic environment that has left MULTIPLE players in a constant deep depression. She will use your mental health against you. She does not care about us as people, players, students, none of that (just her favorites). She tried to rush people from season-ending injuries and other injuries. She uses her captains as her minions and creates a divide in the team, you never know who to trust and you feel that you cannot be your open and authentic self, ever. Being in this culture and environment is incredibly draining and made me hate this sport. She does not deserve to be the head coach of this program with everything that has happened and it's embarrassing to be a part of this program at this time. I never thought I would ever be able to speak about a coach like this but this is the worst situation I've ever experienced. "

"The pattern continues.... putting herself ahead of her players. With zero conference wins after two full seasons, hopefully ODU will take this opportunity to hit reset and rebuild based on positivity, valuing the individual student-athletes, and eliminating the toxic nature of a Theresa Walton-led program."

"This week Coach Theresa Walton got a DUI. Not only did she get a DUI, she tried to flat out lie about it to her team then retracted it the very next day with a whole different story that was full of BS. "

"Coach Walton is an intense hot head no question about that. The love she has for the game and this University goes beyond any small minded individual. Her goal is to develop her players and produce the best season ODU has seen. In turn this means having hard yet motivational conversations which ANY and ALL DI coaches do. The best part about Walton is the fact she isn’t always serious she does like to have fun too. She might not be as loving as the other assistants but she would take a bullet for you. If you are looking to come to ODU or are committed, congratulations. Walton has a plan and will see it through. "

"Out of all of the positive adjectives listed above, not even one slightly describes Theresa Walton. Nothing positive should be associated with her name. I could go on and on and list the specific things Walton does to make her such a terrible and miserable person and coach but instead I want to emphasize if you have any future plans of playing for Walton I STRONGLY suggest reviewing that decision. "

"Coach Fred Chao put me at my lowest point in life after being on his team for less than 2 months. Treated me like I wasn’t even a person. Kicked me off a team after an injury and told me I was selfish and a narcissist. While I was injured made me do stuff that put me in immense pain due to my injury and he didn’t care. I do not recommend him at all I have so many stories about him and none of them are good. "

"Very unprofessional and childish which translates to the team culture. Does not know how to manage a team. Lashes out and targets certain players with abusive words and actions. Doesn’t care about you as a person and doesn’t believe that academics come first. If you are verbally committed here, highly suggest rethinking your decision! Much better programs to play for. "

"Honestly, the worst experience with a coach at any level. She creates an extremely toxic environment. She is very negative and verbally demeaning, telling her players how much they "suck", She does not care about the player's mental or physical well-being. Her negative and disrespectful environment creates division among the team and has destroyed the love of the game. Do not play for this coach!"

"I’m hearing horror stories! She needs to be investigated! "

"Wasn’t always easy. But he believed in me and helped me become a better athlete. Any D1 college coach is going to be tough and will gravitate to athletes they can trust to do the job. I have no doubt he had favorites and maybe some people were over looked. He worked with what he had and had to make tough decisions on how he could make the most of each athlete for the betterment of the team. I completely trusted him and knew any decision he made was what he thought was best. Though it wasn’t always easy to deal with when the results. "