Lacrosse

A good lacrosse coach can have the single-biggest impact on a program’s success out of any of its pieces, in my opinion. So, who is the best of the best? Who is the most successful lacrosse coach of all-time? I’ve selected the five coaches who I feel have been the most successful over the years.

Now, I’d like to first put a disclaimer on this article that I don’t necessarily think that a coach’s winning percentage or number of championships defines the impact that a coach has on a program. I personally believe that the best indicator of success is not only the success that his or her players enjoy on the field, but they success those players see off of it, particularly after they hang up the cleats. In my opinion, the best coaches are those that mold young men and women into high-character individuals that have an appetite for doing good and giving back to their communities.

But, the reality is that a coach’s job security is largely determined by the worth that we place on that individuals number of wins, conference or national championships or number of All-Americans produced. It seems in the last decade there have been more and more crazy stories of coaches getting fired after a period of time that hardly gives that person a chance to make any real impact at a school or professional team. I personally think that a large part of any job is adapting and growing into the role; I think it’s a rare few that come into a situation and immediately save the sinking ship.

At any rate, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at which coaches have the most success based on their team’s on the field performance by using a few pieces of criteria. Here’s my criteria for selecting these five coaches:

• A coaches total length of tenure in the coaching industry, and their overall winning percentage during their career.
• A coaches length of stay at one particular university or team, and their overall winning percentage at that program.
• The number of national championships and any conference championships, in addition to the number of appearances in the post-season.
• The number of All-Americans under their tutelage, bonus points for four-time All-Americans.
• Finally, coach of the year awards that they received. (Our list is likely not comprehensive of all of the awards they received).

That’s our frame of reference. If you disagree with my methodology, then we’ll probably disagree on who should be on this list of five of the most successful coaches. I personally won’t take any offense to any suggestions for how I can improve the criteria I used to select these coaches, or any suggestions of your own for who you feel should be included on this list should you feel I left someone out. Also, it goes without saying that this is not a male-specific article, as there have been a countless number of legendary women’s coaches who are every bit as deserving of making this list as their male counterparts. Also, we are not discriminating between divisions in the NCAA, although we are not going to include professional lacrosse given that most of the pro leagues have a relatively short history compared to the NCAA’s existence with lacrosse. Also, we are not taking into consideration a coach’s international experience, as that could be another article for another time.

So, let’s take a look at who is the most successful lacrosse coach of all-time!

NOTE: It should be noted that there was quite a bit of a discrepancy between different sources of records in terms of wins and losses. I referenced the various athletic departments of each coach for their official data as those are likely the most reliable sources available. What information was available is what I used.

Who Is The Most Successful Lacrosse Coach Of All-Time?

Top 5

5. Missy Foote: Middlebury (1978-1983, 1987-2015)

Highlights: 

• National Championships: 5
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:
• Conference Championships: 9 (7 NESCAC, 2 ECAC)
• Total Wins: 422
• Total Losses: 114
• Career Win Percentage: .787
• Years Coaching: 34
• Longest Consecutive Stay At One Program: Middlebury (28 years)*
• Record At Longest-Tenured Program: 422-114 (.787 win percentage)**
• No. of All-Americans:
• Coaching Awards: US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame (2012), IWLCA Hall of Fame (2017), IWLCA Coach of the Year (5x), Division III Regional and National Coach of the Year (1994, 1998, field hockey), Vermont Sports Hall of Fame (2017)

*Note: I considered a “consecutive stay” to be consecutive years coached at a program. Foote totaled 34 years at Middlebury, however, the most consecutive number of years Foote totaled was 28.

**Note: While we did calculate the longest consecutive stay at one program, the record at the longest-tenured program expresses the total win-loss record for time at that program as opposed to the win-loss record during the length of the longest tenure at that program.

Why Missy Foote is No. 5:

Missy Foote’s Middlebury women’s lacrosse team had an incredible 14 consecutive trips to the NCAA Final Four, winning national championships during five of those years during 1994-2007. Foote spent a total of nearly 40 years total at Middlebury, whether on the field as a lacrosse coach, a field hockey coach or as an administrator. Speaking of Foote’s field hockey coaching career, Foote finished her career with a 180-95-12 record and a national title in 1998. Yes, this is an article about the most successful lacrosse coaches of all-time, but being successful in a second sport certainly solidifies one’s greatness. Missy Foote’s 422 career wins are second all-time among Division III women’s lacrosse coaches, while she ranks third in total wins in any division of women’s lacrosse.

4. David Urick: Hobart (1980-1989), Georgetown (1990-2012)

Highlights:

• National Championships: 10
• NCAA Tournament Appearances: 21
• Conference Championships:
• Total Wins: 345
• Total Losses: 129
• Career Win Percentage: .728
• Years Coaching: 33
• Longest Consecutive Stay At One Program: Georgetown (22 years)
• Record At Longest-Tenured Program: Georgetown (223-99, .693 win percentage)
• No. of All-Americans: N/A
• Coaching Awards: US Lacrosse National Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1998), Kraus Award – Division III Coach of the Year (1980, 1981), Cortland State Athletics Hall of Fame (1986), Hobart College Hall of Fame (1990), Upstate New York Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1991), Potomac Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2006), ICAC Coach of the Year (1976, football)

Why David Urick is No. 4:

David Urick will always best be remembered for the dynasty he had at Hobart College from 1980-1989. Winning 10 consecutive national championships, Hobart dominated the Division III lacrosse scene. Urick is actually one of four coaches in NCAA history in any sport to win 10 straight national titles. Urick never matched the same success he had at Hobart while he was at Georgetown in terms of championships, but he led Georgetown to a 223-99 record while with the Hoyas that included 11 NCAA tournament appearances. Their appearance in the 1999 tournament ended with Georgetown in the semifinals. Georgetown never had a losing season under Urick, and were the No. 1 ranked team in the country for periods during the 2003 and 2007 seasons. Urick also served as the chairman of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Committee from 1990-93.

Urick was also the head football coach for Hobart beginning in the 1976 season, where the team finished with a 7-2 record, with Urick earning ICAC Coach of the Year honors. Urick actually was technically the co-head lacrosse coach of Hobart in 1979, and stepped down from the football program when he became the sole head coach in 1980.

3. Cindy Timchal: Northwestern (1982-1990), Maryland (1991-2006), Navy (2008-present)

Highlights:

• National Championships: 8
• NCAA Tournament Appearances: 28
• Conference Championships: unavailable
• Total Wins: 525
• Total Losses: 138
• Career Win Percentage: .792
• Years Coaching: 37 (entering 38th year)
• Longest Consecutive Stay At One Program: Maryland (15 years)
• Record At Longest-Tenured Program: Maryland (260-46, .849 win percentage)*
• No. of All-Americans: N/A (but, I bet it’s probably a lot)
• Coaching Awards: US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame (2012), National Coach of the Year (1999), ACC Coach of the Year (4x), University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame (2012), NCAA’s 25th Anniversary Team (2006), IWLCA Hall of Fame (2017)

*Note: Record was calculated from taking Timchal’s career record and subtracting the wins and losses from her records at Navy and Northwestern according to her coaching profile on the Navy Athletics website. The calculated record may not be 100 percent accurate.

Why Cindy Timchal is No. 3:

I know. It’s unusual to see Cindy Timchal’s name associated with anything other than first place. Timchal has had an incredible career and is certainly right up there with our No. 2 and No. 3 picks. It’s tough choosing between so many legends, but someone has to be ranked third. Timchal has been a winner at every program she has been at. Timchal was the first coach at Northwestern when the program officially competed in the NCAA in 1982. She had a 76-40 record while with the Wildcats, and was a huge part in setting that program off in the right direction. She then took over at Maryland in 1991, where she led the Terps to eight national championships, seven of which were won consecutively from 1995-2001 — a streak that is third all-time in NCAA Women’s Division I history in any sport. Her eight national titles are the eighth most by a coach in a women’s sport in NCAA history, and the 26th most in all sports, men and women combined. She has been coaching at Navy since 2008 after leaving Maryland in 2006, and has led the Midshipmen to nine Patriot League titles and seven NCAA tournament appearances, making the Final Four in 2017. Timchal has a knack for creating something out of nothing, while also being able to win at the highest level.

2. Jim Berkman: Potsdam State (1984), Salisbury (1988-Present)

Highlights:

• National Championships: 12
• NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1988-2019 (31 consecutive appearances)
• Conference Championships: 22 (Capital Athletic Conference)*
• Total Wins: 575
• Total Losses: 65
• Career Win Percentage: .896
• Years Coaching: 32 (entering 33rd)
• Longest Consecutive Stay At One Program: Salisbury (31 years)
• Record At Longest-Tenured Program: Salisbury (566-60, .905 win percentage)
• No. of All-Americans: 220 (11 national players of the year)
• Coaching Awards: US Lacrosse Hall Of Fame (2013), Division III National Coach Of The Year (1991, 2008, 2012), CAC Coach Of The Year (1996, 2002-08, 2010, 2012, and 2016)

*Note: Salisbury joined the Capital Athletic Conference in 1995

Why Jim Berkman is No. 2:

Jim Berkman is, in my mind, probably the most successful lacrosse coach of all-time. The name Salisbury Men’s Lacrosse has become synonymous with winning, and is a very widely respected program across the country. Berkman has won more national championships in our sport than any other lacrosse coach, and also has the highest winning percentage over a career for a lacrosse coach as well — impressive, considering he also has the most wins of at least any male lacrosse coach at the NCAA level, and has coached for over 30 years. In his spare time, Berkman also reportedly hikes Mt. Everest for his morning walk, then swims back to the Salisbury campus from Asia to get an actual morning workout in. Legend has it that Berkman also brushes with 24 karat gold toothpaste and uses shower towels made of $2,000 bills. Rumor is that the US Treasury printed these bills especially for Berkman, considering that the $2,000 bill has never actually been in circulation.

1. Sharon Pfluger: Kean (1984), Montclair State (1985), TCNJ (1986-1997, 1999-present)

Highlights:

• National Championships: 11*
• NCAA Tournament Appearances: 33*
• Conference Championships: 1**
• Total Wins: 528*
• Total Losses: 64*
• Career Win Percentage: .877*
• Years Coaching: 35 (entering 36th)
• Longest Consecutive Stay At One Program: TCNJ (33 years)
• Record At Longest-Tenured Program: TCNJ (528-64, .877 win percentage)
• No. of All-Americans: 154 (18 national players of the year)
• Coaching Awards: US Lacrosse National Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2007), IWLCA Division III Coach of the Year (1987,2004), IWLCA Regional Coach of the Year (1989, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Outstanding Achievement Award – March of Dimes (1990), Outstanding Achievement Award – Philadelphia Sportswriters Association (1991,1992), Bea Marwick Award (1995), New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1997), IWLCA Hall of Fame (2017)

*Note: Denotes achievements while at TCNJ (data unavailable for Kean (1984) and Montclair State (1985) — if you have a source for the official records during these years, submit it!)

**Note: The New Jersey Athletic Conference, of which TCNJ is a member, wasn’t formed until 

Why Sharon Pfluger is No. 1:

In my mind, in in terms of lacrosse coaching success there is nothing that separates Sharon Pfluger from Jim Berkman. Each of these coaches list of accomplishments is nearly identical, although I don’t know if I was able to piece together a completely accurate record of Pfluger’s coaching history. Her coaching profile on TCNJ’s website provides probably the most accurate data for the largest portion of her career, but I was unable to find really any data on her records or success while she was at Kean or Montclair State. Regardless of how those two seasons actually went, she is obviously one the most successful NCAA coaches in any gender, and really in any sport. In fact, Pfluger has also won nine NCAA women’s field hockey championships, and amassed 606-113-9 record while at TCNJ. THAT is why I’m putting Pfluger as the No. 1 lacrosse coach of all-time. While technically this is an article on who is the best lacrosse coach of all-time, I needed something to be able to separate our tie at the top. The fact that Pfluger is also one of the best coaches of all-time in NCAA women’s field hockey tells me that she is a born winner wherever she goes, and that she could coach penguins to fly and still be successful. I have no doubt that Jim Berkman could probably get those said penguins off of the ground as well, but the fact that Pfluger has proven herself in two sports to me is the deciding factor.

Have a coach that you think we should have mentioned in our list of who is the most successful lacrosse coach of all-time? Share in the comments or tag us on social media using our handle @LaxAllStars.

Editor’s Note: Our Rochester NLL Contributor Michael Cooper just wrapped up playing the North American Invitational (formerly LASNAI) where he was running his own team, the Rochester Bats. Here are his thoughts on the experience.

The NAI is one of the greatest tournaments in the world, which took place October 10th to the 12th for the men’s division, in the Onondaga Nation, just south of Syracuse, New York. I had the honor of once again putting in my tournament team, the Rochester Bats. We were one team out of the twenty four who played in the tournament which was split between the Onondaga Fieldhouse and the Onondaga Nation Arena.

With this being the second year the Bats were playing, we were looking to make a major run at the championship and immensely improve from our finish in the 2018 event (27th out of 32).

Having our eyes on the championship, we knew we had to pick up some key guys to make that realistic. The Bats added the big guy Mike Triolo, the grinder Colton Armstrong, the tough and gritty vet Drew Candy, transition ace Adam Perroni, and the “rook” Joel Watson in the pipes.

Knowing each game would be broadcast live or streamed shortly after, each team was fired up to kick the tournament off. With our bolstered team we were beyond pumped to get off and running.

The Rochester Bats were moved up to the Gold division, meaning our first two games were going to be no walk in the park as we were facing two veteran teams that also had stacked rosters the Glasgow Clydesiders and the MegaSharks.

The Bats would come out on top of both games beating Glasgow, 4-3, at the Fieldhouse, followed by the MegaSharks 9-4 at the Arena. Going 2-0 on the day and in the division meant the boys earned a spot in the quarterfinals Friday evening against the Onondaga Fire. The winner of that game would play in the finals Saturday, and the loser would drop to the 8th vs. 5th place game and playing again late that night.

Both teams playing in the prime time slot and for the finals were pumped to go head to head in front of a packed crowd at the Fieldhouse.

Out of the locker room immediately burst Candy screaming his pre-game ritual, signifying the intensity that the game was going to have. The entire game was old school, real box lacrosse, with big hits, a ton of chirps, a goalie battle, and just a plain flat out war. With the score 3-2 in favor of the hometown Onondaga team at half, this was going to be no easy task for either team to win. But prior to half, the tensions rose as our goalie Watson was being chirped on his way to the bench. This led to a few pushing matches between myself and Colton Armstrong from the Bats, and the Fire’s Brian Phillips and Leland Powless. This eventually led to Powless ripping off the bucket of Kroy Arnold as he swung at him away from the initial scrum. Leland was tossed from the game. Back in the game though, Rochester and Onondaga each scored one goal in the final half to give Onondaga the 3-2 victory and sent us to the last game of the night that took place three hours later against the Akwesasne Bucks, the Can Am champions.

The Bats would battle but would fall short in the late game losing 4-7 to the Bucks, as the boys were flat out exhausted after the battle just hours earlier. The loss moved the Bats to play the Seneca Marksmen for the 7th place game on the final day.

The team was very upset with the loss to Onondaga still lingering, and wanted to go out with a win over the Marksmen. The Bats would get off to a 3-0 lead, and hang on to win 4-2, with the Marksmen grabbing a goal with just 3 seconds left. With this win the Bats finished 7th place out of the 24 teams in the tournament. A big jump for the team who placed 20 spots back just a year prior.

Mike Triolo led the Bats in scoring, with Colton Armstrong coming in second, and Tom Ribarich in third. But, most importantly, shout out to the keeps Joel Watson and Carson John who stood on their heads and were absolutely phenomenal the entire tournament!

The boys are already chomping at the bit to get back to NAI 2020 with many already reaching out to jump on this already massive line up! See you next year NAI!

Special shout out to co-organizers Connor Wilson and Scott Neiss, who put on an absolutely amazing tournament that is first class and the best! Truly hats off to those two beauties!

What’s going on, everybody? Welcome to another episode of Lacrosse History. This is Part 2 of the History of Box Lacrosse (click here for Part 1). My name is Justin Skaggs, and I’m a stick maker here in Philadelphia, and I love to study the history of this game from its creation through all the many forms. That brings us to box lacrosse and since the NLL is about to start, I thought it was a good time to start telling some Americans about the history of box lacrosse.

Lacrosse is an ever-changing game. Since the mid-1800s, when the Canadians tried to formulate the original rulebook, it just kept changing from there. Right now, there’s Olympic lacrosse, box lacrosse, field lacrosse and the traditional Medicine Game. There are so many different versions of what we’re talking about, that sometimes, it can get really cluttered and clustered. Also, within box lacrosse, there’s so many different rules and regulations, it’s almost impossible to fully pick out what the game is, which is actually kind of beautiful. As I was writing the script to this episode, I realized that what I explained should be an entire episode, maybe even its own entire series, so within the confines of what we’re talking about today, let’s just appreciate that we’re going to be talking about around 1920 to 1930 when the Montreal Canadiens actually started to formulate and legitimize what an indoor lacrosse game would look like.

Box lacrosse, which was being referred to at the time as “BOXLA”, is on a significantly smaller playing field. Being that you’re playing within the small confines of a hockey rink, it would mean the death of the defensive long pole, but not the death of defensive specialization. So, I can speak from a brief career as a bad field player and a bad box player, but the defensive responsibilities are strictly different, and the equipment is dramatically different. So, right there, your body position and where you’re going to be all changes when you change the field of play.

Obviously, there are offensive implications, but it’s really important to remember that losing a 6-foot long pole is a huge change. Also, when you consider the goalie, all of the equipment is going to be different. It’s really close-quarters, and since it is being played in a hockey-style arena, that’s why you see more of a hockey-style pad structure on the goalies themselves. Another very important thing to mention during this era of history is that the game shrunk in terms of the number of players actually on the field at any given time. Now, where you used to have nine players on the field (plus the goalie in the cage), now, you’re only gonna have 5 players on the floor. Obviously, each version’s going to have a goalie. Historically, there are actually some accounts of them trying to do six players on the floor, and a goalie, so that would be a 7-vs-7. That got shrunk down to a 6-vs-6 with only five people actually running on the floor, which is the game that is popularized today. Now, losing that many people changes the actual way you are going to play, position and pivot your men.

So, this is another massive change in the actual playing style as a result of taking it off the field and putting it onto the floor. What is probably the most paramount difference, and when people watch both versions of the game, the thing that they take away is that it’s more aggressive and it’s a lot faster. If you take grass out of the equation and turn it into a cement floor, obviously, what you’re hitting is going to be harder on the body. But, in addition to that, the ball is not going to slow down. The ball continues to move. If you replace the “out of bounds” with an actual, impenetrable, immovable wall, you’re going to create a lot of injuries to people getting checked into that wall as well, and you’re not going to be able to have enough stoppage, because the ball isn’t going to be constantly rolling out of bounds. Now, obviously, if you guys know what box lacrosse is, a lot of this will be redundant, but the ball will go out of bounds if it actually leaves the area of play. Whether it hits the ceiling of the facility, or it goes over the wall, it’s out of bounds. But, since the ball can’t just roll over a line that we constructed to change possession, this game moves fast. The injures that were systemic from the additional speed as well as the harsher environment, were some things that were noted at the time. Not only was it mentioned back in the day, it’s still a paramount discussion today.

We actually have a video on the history of violence in lacrosse that I think would lend a lot more to this subject matter than me going into it here, so I invite you guys to go over and review that episode. It was a couple months back, and it’ll kind of explain the governing bodies of each individual sport, and how they’re mitigating that issue. As I said in Part 1, it was a huge fork in the road of lacrosse history. If you go up north of the border, box lacrosse is basically lacrosse. If you go south of the border, field lacrosse is basically lacrosse. With a slow but steady growth of box lacrosse here in the United States. We’re going to come back for Part 3 of The History of Box Lacrosse, and we’re going to start telling you guys how the organizations themselves started to develop, then the rules and structure started to develop, and then, we can actually lead that right into our other series, about the Canadian Lacrosse Cups, so take care, and keep LAXin’.

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (PRWEB)
November 13, 2019

Lacrosse Unlimited, the world’s largest purveyor of lacrosse gear, and legendary streetwear brand Staple Pigeon are pleased to announce a collaboration, marrying “the fastest game on two feet” with the trend-setting world of street culture for the very first time. Set for a November 22nd launch date, the limited-edition collection will be available in all Lacrosse Unlimited locations across the country, as well as on lacrosseunlimited.com. The line will feature a handcrafted composite lacrosse handle, manufactured by industry leader TRUE Sports, and available in three colorways—black, white, or gray. The collection will also include exclusive designs on a hooded sweatshirt, as well as on short and long-sleeved T-shirts.

With a cult-like underground following, Staple Pigeon blends the savvy of a creative agency with the cutting-edge world of street culture for an inspired men’s lifestyle collection. The brainchild of Jeff Staple, the brand is perhaps best known for its 2005 collaboration with Nike for the limited-edition SB “Pigeon” sneaker. Designed as a dedication to New York, Staple added a pigeon logo, paying homage to the city’s ubiquitous bird. An overwhelming demand for the shoe marked a key moment in sneaker culture, and since then Staple Pigeon has been one of the most sought-after lifestyle brands.

As longtime fans of the brand, the Lacrosse Unlimited team came up with a Staple-inspired lacrosse pigeon and brought it to the attention of Jeff Staple, who was enthusiastically on-board. With their creative departments working closely together, the two companies formulated a series of fashion-forward designs that would stand out on the lacrosse field. “We couldn’t be prouder to have the opportunity to work with Staple Pigeon and to have Jeff personally design the collection,” says Lacrosse Unlimited founder, Joe DeSimone. “To have our Lacrosse Unlimited logo share the same space with the renowned Pigeon is iconic for us.” Jeff Staple adds, “There is an inherent mutual respect between the athleticism of the lacrosse world and the creativeness of the street culture world; but rarely have the two actually collaborated and crossed paths. I hope this is the first of many more to come.” This exciting product launch marks a pinnacle for Lacrosse Unlimited, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

About Lacrosse Unlimited:

From its humble beginnings in Long Island, New York, Lacrosse Unlimited has been a go-to resource for all things in the popular sport. Launched in 1990 by Joe DeSimone and his family, the company has become the most innovative tastemaker in lacrosse, now with 43 stores across twelve states. Lacrosse Unlimited is renowned for its genuine passion for the sport, and for its relentless focus on providing an “always-custom” experience to its clients.

About Staple Pigeon

What started as a small, handmade T-shirt line by Jeff Ng (aka Jeff Staple) in 1997 has grown to be a world-renowned brand, inspired by street culture and design, and reflecting the gritty and never-ending energy that New Yorkers (and all urban dwellers) possess. The pigeon not only exists as a representation of New York but is also the influence behind Staple’s extensive apparel range and collaborative items available across the world. A creative visionary whose work includes graphic, apparel, and footwear design, as well as brand marketing, Staple’s reach encompasses many different landscapes around the globe, including fashion, music, sport, and art.

Share article on social media or email: