"This coach certainly has earned her rating as one of the Top 10 Lowest Ranked College Coaches. To be very clear this has nothing to do with playing time. She thrives on mind games with the players. Blatant favoritism. Entire offense runs off of 1 player. Poor game preparation. Never any change of defensive strategy to shut down top players from other teams. Poor in game management. In non-conference games when getting blown out, seldom are other players rotated in to gain any type of valuable playing experience, see Ohio State game 2026. Games are loss due to coaching mismanagement, yet the players are blamed for the loss. Look no further than Akron MAC championship game blowing a 9 to 4 lead. Akron outcoached RMU. Many players have left this program due to the mental head games that are played and not because of their playing time. A starting senior quits with a handful of games left due to the coach. Several current players are miserable but are scared to come forward. This coach had been protected by Athletic Administration, despite complaints and poor year end survey reviews. That Athletic Director is now gone. The Athletic Therapist was known to make inappropriate comments to the players, and now that individual is gone. The entire coaching staff are ill equipped to coach at the D1 level. The new AD needs to critically evaluate this coaching staff. There is a theme to the reviews and they are very similar to reviews that have been posted about recent former coaches at Youngstown State, and Central Michigan."

"March 1, 2026 - RMU vs. Ohio State RMU went more than 29 minutes without scoring a goal. During this extended scoring drought, the same players remained on the field, with Coach Grove making no changes to the lineup. Throughout this period, the offensive players repeatedly made mistakes and, the defensive players appeared increasingly exhausted and yet they remained on the field. To those who have written reviews describing the blatant favoritism shown toward certain players, only to be challenged by others saying what a great coach she is: the events of that game speak louder than a review ever could."

"I feel the need to offer my opinion of Courtney Grove. She is a hard working, dedicated coach. Courtney & her wonderful staff inherited some toxic players & parents (apples don’t fall far.) One of the parents even interrogated other players because of his/her frustration over the daughter’s playing time, lack of opportunities to score. There were bullies on the team, and the staff had zero tolerance for it. Also, I have two other collegiate athletes, & one of the coaches has young children -they attend practices, games-they are part of the team/family. It is petty for a parent to pick apart our coach having her kids present. Any potential athletes should feel confident that Courtney & her staff have built an amazing culture at RMU. All 16 freshmen have returned as sophomores. 5 out of 7 incoming juniors are back, along with our beloved senior leaders & incoming freshmen class. The team is traveling to Florida this coming season for four days to compete. My girl has thrived under the leadership of Coach Grove and her staff. They have supported, encouraged, & motivated her on & off the field."

"Several recent reviews indicate there were complaints about playing time. I'm sure there were some frustrated players who wanted to play or play more, but when they asked the coach for feedback, it was often dismissed, or no formal coaching was provided to improve player development. What about a starting senior player who left the team with only a few games remaining last year? That's not a playing time issue. That speaks to other bigger problems."

"In my daughter's third year (the coach's second year), she was driven in a school van to a play date at Pitt. This makes sense; it is only a 15-minute drive. Here's the issue - there were not enough seats in the vans for the girls, so the girls had to sit on the floor of the van. Needless to say, there were a lot of angry parents who refused to let their daughters return to campus in the van. Instead, they drove them back to campus themselves. This was completely unacceptable, unprofessional, puts the school at risk, and puts athletes' lives at risk."

"We couldn’t be more impressed with this coach! She is the best coach my daughter has ever had. She brings out the best in her players, builds their confidence, and creates an environment where they feel supported, challenged, and valued. She has helped my daughter grow not only as an athlete, but also in confidence and character. We are so thankful our daughter has had the opportunity to be coached by her! We are disappointed to see a review that contains so many statements that do not reflect our experience with Coach Grove and her staff. As parents, we understand that not every player or family will have the same experience, but presenting personal opinions and unverified allegations as fact is unfair and misleading. Some stated that the positive reviews here are “fabricated” or “propaganda”… this is just plainly not true! In my opinion Coach Grove has been actively trying to change team culture to rid it of the negativity! Some older players may not have liked this along with changes in playing time with larger incoming classes. I believe she is fair with playing time and gives everyone a chance to compete and earn a spot. I think that there were some players with a sense of entitlement and little accountability… and she is trying to change that culture! Playing at the D1 level nothing is owed to you and everything needs to be continually earned. I think this was lost on some. Our daughter’s experience with Coach Grove has been overwhelmingly positive. She has been supported, challenged, encouraged, and treated with respect. We have seen firsthand the time, effort, and dedication Coach Grove and her staff put into developing their players both as athletes and as young women. We also believe it is important to recognize that coaching decisions, playing time, team strategy, and player development can be viewed differently by different families. Disagreement with those decisions does not make the coaching staff uncaring, unqualified, or unethical. We believe that Coach Grove was working to create a more positive, supportive, and unified team culture. And the bad reviews on this site are because some people don’t like change. We simply wanted to provide another perspective because our daughter’s experience has been very different from what is described in other reviews here. We are grateful for Coach Grove and everything she has done for our daughter. In our experience, she is an exceptional coach, mentor, and role model, and we would confidently recommend her to other families."

"Coach Grove has been one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. She is always checking up on her players on and off the field. She instilled confidence in me on the field and allows her players to play freely. I’ve never met a coach more accommodating in my life. They value growing relationships on the field and really teaching the game. It can be easy to blame coaches for not enough playing time and other issues but these coaches do a great job in giving everyone a fair chance and making sure they feel seen. I think this coaching staff is worth sending your daughter to RMU for!"

"I wanted to walk away from the BS that my daughter experienced under Coach Grove and Staff but reading the ridiculous parent reviews placed on this site I could not allow the propaganda to continue. Those reviews are fabricated to try to save the coaches and administration from the truth. Ask them about the lawsuit? Please keep in mind I have coached for years. Coaching ability: The entire staff is incredibly unprepared for games. There is no strategy in games. The same old tired slow break offense that puts all the pressure on defense. The team has zero fast break training or ability. The offense relies 100% on individual player effort. With the majority of the players are afraid to make a mistake because they will get pulled. While other players can make massive mistakes, quit running, quit playing on the field, talk back to players and refs. Are there any consequences? No none! We won a conference championship in spite of the coaches. Then RMU lost the next year because the coaches have no idea how to coach. Call a time out and have a plan. Their favorites can do anything they want. What is amusing is when the favorites switch each year and the old favorites get a taste of what its like not being a favorite, they get angry. There should be NO favorites! I surveyed players on what the coaches “coached” them personally on numerous times. The answer was always the same NOTHING. There is no individual coaching. Comments are always about the team needing to do better. When players push as to why they need to do to get playing time they never get any feedback. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? My daughter received ZERO coaching from them. Because they either do not care or do not know how. Personalities: The coaching staff is at best passive aggressive and at worst still caught up in being mean girls from school. I have watched them run off great talent. Players complain and they side with the favorites. Captains have quit because there is no backup from coaches if players are deemed favorites. Serious player misconduct on and off the field has been ignored. The smart girls transferred. The outside texting and personal relationships the coaches have with some players are inappropriate, and the school does nothing to stop them. The administration supports this by ignoring it happens. The coaches want to get paid and do as little as possible. When the girls moved from the NEC to the MAC this was supposed to free up money to do more for the girls. None of that came true. Spring Break trips to Albany, NY while D3 teams are in California and Florida. RMU Dominated the MAC. Now they will be lucky if they ever make a championship weekend. The coaches and administration have destroyed the legacy and good faith RMU had. Don’t make the mistake of burdening your daughter with this program. "

"Where there is smoke, there is fire. Beware of Grove and her staff! In Grove’s 3 years at RMU, 12 players have either transferred or quit lacrosse altogether. Several were either starters or contributing players. Things are so bad a starter quit with half a season left, due to the mental anguish caused by Grove. Grove is a game player, she messes with players mental health, and this has been repeated over and over. Grove will sit players who were starting and/or regularly playing and provide little in terms of what they did or need to do to get back to their roles. She punishes the whole team with excessive physical drills when a single team member violates a team rule. Her 'favorites' can do whatever they want with never any call out. Several players have brought forward complaints to the Athletic Administration. That AD has since resigned. Grove takes advantage of the inherent trust the players give her and then manipulates them. They ask for feedback to improve their game, little if anything concrete is ever given back to the player. Grove gets defensive if anyone challenges her. Grove is very passive aggressive, will come across super nice and then turn on players. This team has continued to drop in the MAC rankings under Grove. Teams in the MAC they once handled easily are beating them now. Pre-game preparation is always last minute and totally unorganized. Video sessions are a waste if they are ever done. No real strategy is developed to beat the opposition. Grove coaches the same repeatedly. Game plans never change. Players who take bad penalties never sit. Players who consistently turn the ball over never sit. Draw after draw is lost, and nothing is done till maybe second half to change it. Team is getting pounded early on and yet no change to starters. Assistant Coaches are relatively ineffective and very immature. Coaches and support staff have been inappropriate with comments with team members. Grove texting a freshman about what the freshman thought the team should do to improve performance. Assistant coach talking about husbands’ sexual prowess with the team. Assistant coach arriving at practice hung over to the point of throwing up. Assistant Coach showering in the players locker room. Trainer making sexual inappropriate comments to players about their bodies. A strength coach snap chatting sexual inuendo and inappropriate comments to a player. Players making sexuality based inappropriate comments to an opposing team's player with no consequences. Player manhandling a teammate in practice with no consequence. Players mocking team mates to the point mental health becomes a serious concern or the player transfers. Players babysitting or housesitting for Grove. Several players have been ostracized by their classmates to the point of impacting their mental health and Grove does nothing about it. Underage freshmen drinking to the point of blacking out to the point Grove had to come on campus to deal with it. Grove has no regard for alumni, very little done to engage them to want to come back. Alumni who now coach, telling their players to stay away from RMU. "

"Created a hostile team environment and played girls against eachother Coaches have been extremely unprofessional, for example having players babysitting their children, housesitting and just generally having their kids running around the field on a regular basis during practice and games. You just don’t see other reputable programs behaving in this manner. "

"A place that my athlete found a home, a safe place, great friends, a dedicated coaching staff, and academic success. The step away from home to college is an experience that every parent worries about. Will my athlete fit in, will they do well in school, will they excel in their sport, will they accomplish their goals? I can say as a parent my athlete has obtained all of this and more in this experience. Being a D1 athlete is not about just getting on the field, there is so many other things that they have to do to be that D1 athlete. Having a supportive coaching staff, supportive school, and supportive team members all drive success. Anytime my athlete had a question or concern the coaching staff responded immediately, and supported her. Looking forward to what the next year brings. RMU has been a fantastic place for our daughter. "

"Coach Grove and her staff have been the best coaching staff I’ve had. They dedicate themselves completely to the success of the team and improving the culture every day. They are always looking for ways to get better on the field and in the locker room. What I appreciate most is that it’s a coaching staff that believes in real relationships. It takes both the players and coaches being willing to grow and get to know one another, and they truly put effort into that. I love what Coach Grove is doing with the program. Like any D1 program, there are always going to be bumps and changes that need to happen, but they handle everything with grace. I think it’s easy for people to look for someone to blame when they aren’t getting the playing time they think they deserve, but the reality is that at the D1 level everyone is talented and competition is tough. Overall, Coach Grove and her staff genuinely care about the program and the players, and that shows. "

"RMU has been a very positive experience for our daughter and our family. From our perspective Coach Grove and her staff has taken a genuine interest in the well being of our daughter and her teammates. I can't imagine that any team or coach that has to manage 30+ girls and their personalities is perfect, but we have been very pleased with the dedication, passion, and accesibility of the coaching staff. This team had a very large freshman class and it appears that every girl is returning as a sophomore which speaks volumes about the positive culture that has been created at RMU. I feel Coach Grove and her staff care about my daughter and has taken a genuine interest in her well being on and off the field which is very important to me as a parent. Playing time and not always agreeeing with every coaching decision that is made on the field is all part of the "game" and not something as parents we can get overly involved in at this level. The coaching staff is dedicated to their players, has recruited well (4 freshman all-conference players this year), and expects the best of their athletes. "

"As a parent, I felt compelled to share our experience with the RMU women's lacrosse program and Coach Grove’s staff. It’s important to understand the context of the program over the past few years. When Coach Grove took over, many of the players on the roster were not originally recruited by her staff. From our perspective, there were also some strong personalities and a sense of entitlement among certain upperclassmen that created challenges within the team culture. As a first-time Division I head coach, she was working to establish herself while also managing those dynamics. At times, it seemed like she was trying not to disrupt team chemistry too abruptly, even when younger players may have been outperforming veterans. Our experience with the coaching staff has been very positive. Are they perfect when it comes to in-game adjustments or game planning? No, but that’s not the full picture of what a college program should be judged on. What stands out to us is how much they invest in player development off the field. My daughter has grown tremendously not just as an athlete, but as a more confident and resilient person. There was also some roster turnover this past year, which from our understanding was tied to team culture issues, including behavior that crossed the line into bullying. While narratives may differ depending on who you ask, we believe it’s important to recognize that accountability goes both ways, and not all departures tell the full story. It’s also worth noting the direction the program is heading. This year’s freshman class made an immediate impact, with four players earning all-conference freshman honors. That speaks to the staff’s recruiting and the future of the program. One of the biggest takeaways for us as parents is the reality of college athletics. Playing time is not guaranteed, and expectations don’t always match reality. Many athletes were stars in high school, but the Division I level is faster, more physical, and far more competitive. Coaches see what happens every day in practice and ultimately make decisions they believe give the team the best chance to succeed. Our experience with this program and coaching staff has been a positive one, and we believe they are building something meaningful at RMU."

"If there was an option for 0 stars, Courtney Grove and her staff would receive zeros! RMU women’s lacrosse will never be the same as it was 4 years ago. This staff has ruined it in 3 short years. 10-11 girls have left the program because of the nepotism, manipulation, and just made my time at RMU a living hell. She is never prepared for games, her assistant coaches are not qualified to be around young women let alone coaching them on a daily basis . Anybody thinking of coming to RMU and playing for Courtney Grove, DON’T, run far far away. You will be miserable in this atmosphere. She and her whole staff needs to go. She thinks she is a master manipulator, but little does she know everyone knows what she is doing, except maybe for the freshman, but they will learn pretty quick too. "

"I am writing to share my experience within the college lacrosse program under Coach Grove. Unfortunately, it was one of the most negative athletic experiences I have ever had. The coaching environment fostered division rather than teamwork. Players were frequently put against one another, favoritism was openly displayed, and decisions were often made based on the input of only one or two individuals rather than gathering the full picture. Certain athletes were allowed to behave inappropriately without consequence, while others were singled out or targeted, particularly if they were not part of the favored group. This created a toxic and emotionally unsafe environment for many players. From a competitive standpoint, the team was consistently overworked physically yet underprepared strategically. There appeared to be little to no scouting of opponents, and game plans were often unclear or nonexistent. As athletes investing significant time, money, and effort into the program, we deserved structured preparation and leadership. Additionally, the emotional tone of the program was manipulative and unprofessional. The assistant coach engaged in inappropriate dynamics with players, including maintaining separate text message group chats that excluded others. This behavior blurred professional boundaries and contributed to division within the team. Rather than modeling maturity, leadership, and integrity, the coaching staff fostered cliques and “mean girl” behavior that no collegiate program should encourage. Student-athletes and their families invest financially, physically, and emotionally into college athletics with the expectation of growth, mentorship, and positive leadership. Unfortunately, this program did not provide that experience. I encourage families considering this program to thoroughly research and ask hard questions before committing. No athlete should endure an environment that undermines their confidence, well-being, or love of the game. I would never let anyone I know or care about play for Courtney Grove. "

"I played for this coach at RMU last year and the year we won the championship. We won that championship not because of the coach that would put toxicity between players. We won because we played for eachother. She is not fit to coach a division 1 team. She is a mean cold hearted person that says she cares but she doesn’t. She has her favorite players and plays only them She violates NCAA rules all the time along with her assistant coach. So do yourself a favor do not commit to RMU, no matter what they promise. They are sharks , there is no team culture. Her goal is to put players against eachother. I now coach in a travel program and would never ever let any of our players play for RMU at her helm. "

"One of the biggest issues is blatant favoritism. It was clear that certain players got special treatment, while others were ignored or overlooked. This created a toxic environment that hurt team morale and made it difficult for us to grow and improve as a team. There were also serious ethical concerns, including inappropriate relationships between coaches and players. On top of that, the coaching staff frequently talked about players behind their backs to other players, which only added to the negativity. Instead of offering constructive feedback or genuinely working to help everyone improve, the coaches focused almost exclusively on one player, leaving the rest of us feeling unsupported and disregarded. The coaches were very unorganized with gear and film for games, which disrupted our preparation and performance. Their moods were unpredictable, they could be happy one moment and then suddenly turn stone cold the next, which was really scary and unsettling for the whole team. To make things worse, the assistant coach often showered and changed in the locker room, making many of us uncomfortable. They also pushed us so hard in conditioning that people were literally throwing up, and then acted surprised when so many got injured and we kept losing games. Our offense and defense were totally unorganized, no one really understood what the coaches were trying to say, and everyone was confused all the time. Yet, they still blamed the losses on us not being bonded as a team, which just didn’t make sense. Overall, the lack of professionalism, fairness, and organization made it a very unpleasant experience."

"Courtney grove is an amazing coach who took on a tough role back in 2014 and has completely turned the women’s lacrosse team around. Nothing but respect for her."

"Coach grove is an excellent sales woman. She’s able to craft a lovely picture of life at Seton Hill while being part of a “top notch” team. However, once you really get to campus, you’ll find that she pins players against each other, conditions players until they pee or barf on themselves, and belittles any player that suffers from confidence issues. She ruined the sport for me in more ways than one and I hope that whoever reads this takes it into deep consideration before committing. Truly assess what the school offers, and compare with your goals for post graduation. If you like the sport and are a great athlete, I promise you’ll find better opportunities outside of SHU. Please, save yourself the trauma & find a program that will make you feel safe, respected and included."

"Hands down the best coach I ever had. Incredibly supportive of our goals on and off the field. Very passionate and knowledgeable about lacrosse and genuinely cared about each and every player on the team."

"Hands down the best coach I ever had. Incredibly supportive of our goals on and off the field. Very passionate and knowledgeable about lacrosse and genuinely cared about each and every player on the team."

"Coach cares about his players on and off the field. Truly lives a football life and cares about the game."

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"DA BOMB DIGGITY!!!"