Johns Hopkins University Athletics

Updated: July 2026
First Day at Johns Hopkins: July 1, 2023

Jill Girardi returns for her fourth season on the Blue Jay coaching staff. 
She came to Homewood after beginning her coaching career at Coastal Carolina. 

In her first season with the Blue Jays, Girardi coached Jennifer Barry to a record-breaking season in the draw circle in 2024. The graduate student set program single-game (16) and single-season records (133) and finished her career ranked ninth in NCAA history with 511 career draws. Barry went on to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors from USA Lacrosse. JHU also set the school single-season record with 293 draw controls in 2024. 

The following season, Girardi coached freshman Laurel Gonzalez to another record-breaking campaign. Gonzalez finished the season with 166 draw controls, breaking both the school single-season record. She also broke the JHU single-game record with 18 draws versus Oregon. Gonzalez was a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman selection and was also named Second Team All-Big Ten and Honorable Mention USA Lacrosse All-America.

In 2026, Girardi helped Johns Hopkins to the best season in program history as JHU finished with a school-record 17 wins and made its first appearance in the NCAA Division I Final Four. Gonzalez broke the JHU career record for draw controls (320) and ranked third in the B1G in draws per game. 

In her only season with the Chanticleers, Girardi helped the squad to a 12-7 record in 2023 and a berth in the ASUN Semifinals. She coached the draw specialists, including Devin Rybacki, who set the program single-season record. She also managed midfield and defensive-specific training.
 
After a standout five-year career at Northwestern, Girardi spent last summer playing in the Athletes Unlimited Pro League. Girardi finished her career with the Wildcats with 84 goals, 21 assists and 273 draw controls. A consensus First Team All-American in 2022, she erupted for 52 goals, 62 points and a school-record 183 draws as a senior. She led the Big Ten and ranked second in the nation with 9.63 draws per game in2022. Girardi also ranked seventh in the conference in goals and 10^th in points. She helped the Wildcats to a five-year record of 66-20, including a pair of Big Ten Tournament titles and three NCAA Semifinals appearances.