Walsh University

Erin Backinoff is the Head Coach for the Walsh Women's Lacrosse program. She joined the coaching staff in 2019, as assistant coach, and was named head coach starting in 2023. Since joining the program, Walsh won 4 straight conference championships, including 2 under Backinoff's leadership in 2023 and 2024. 

In her tenure, Coach Backinoff has been named G-MAC Coach of the Year in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons and has had 4 players of the year, 14 First Team All-Conference, 9 Second Team All-Conference, and 3 on Third Team selections (discontinued after 2023).

Before joining the Cavaliers staff, she was the assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach at Queens College in 2018. She also coached the Snipers Elite lacrosse team in Rye, N.Y., from 2016 to 2018.

Prior to coaching Smith was a member of the New York Institute of Technology's (NYIT) inaugural women's lacrosse team in 2017. In that year she was named First Team All-East Coast Conference (ECC), First Team All-Eastern College Athletic Conference, First Team All-North Region, and Second Team All-American. The conference coaches also voted her as ECC Defender of the Year after being selected as Preseason Defender of the Year. In the fall of 2017 she ran cross country and earned her bachelors of business management.

From 2013 to 2016 Smith attended and played at Dowling College. There she was a two-year starter. In the 2016 season she was named First Team All-ECC, Second Team All-North Region, and Third Team All-American. Here she also ran cross country from 2014 to 2016 and was named the team's MVP for the 2015-2016 season.

While at both Dowling and NYIT Smith helped anchor one of the nation' top scoring defenses. In 2014 Dowling won the first ECC tournament by upsetting then-No. 2 LIU Post in the championship game. The win had also snapped LIU Post's 40-game win streak after previously being crowned back-to-back national champions.

In 2015 and 2016 the team made it to the conference finals. After being named regular season conference champs in 2016, Dowling made their second NCAA tournament appearance and won their first NCAA tournament game in program history. In 2017 NYIT made its first appearance in the ECC and NCAA tournaments.