10) Don LaSala Hartwick College
LaSala is currently in his third season with the Hawks and hopes to bring the success he had at Adrian into this already thriving program. He hopes to develop a positive culture of accountability through hard work, dedication, and success, something his players are sure to appreciate.
9) Mike Plantholt Ohio Wesleyan University
Plantholt begins his seventh season as head coach with a very successful season last year. They finished with a 13-4 overall record, were second in the NCAC championship race, and advanced to the championship game of the NCAC tournament. Words from his players exhibit that he is a well-rounded coach and very personable.
8) Jeff Shirk Washington College
Since being named the head coach in 2010, he has brought the program's success to a new level. In 2014 he was once again named the Centennial Conference Coach of the Year as the Shoremen went 18-2, went a perfect 8-0 in Centennial Conference regular season play, won the Centennial Conference Championship for the first time since 2003, and reached the NCAA Division III Semifinals for the first time since 2004. It has been said that he takes pride in his player's success, and is a great role model and leader for his team.
7) Mike Corrado Villanova University
This is Corrado's 11th year as the head coach at Villanova and his 22nd overall with the program. He has led his teams to six conference tournaments over the past seven seasons as a member of both the BIG EAST and CAA conferences and guided Villanova to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2011. He is very knowledgeable of his sport but is also praised by his team for being extremely supportive and kind-hearted.
6) Tom Gravante Mount St. Mary's University
Gravante has been the head coach of the Mount's program since 1995 and has continued year after year to build his team to be an annual contender in the Northeast Conference. He led the Mount to back-to-back conference championships in 2010 and 2011. Missing just one season in 2005 due to his fight against Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Gravante's fight and perseverance is shown through his coaching and provides motivation for his players.
There is one thing Pilat knows very well, and that is winning. In his 28th season on the Roanoke College sidelines, Bill Pilat has accumulated nearly 68-percent of the men's lacrosse wins in school history. He earned his 300th career win on April 19th, becoming the 15th men's lacrosse coach in all of NCAA Divisions I, II or III to accomplish that milestone.
4) Lars Tiffany University of Virginia
Just named head coach this past year, Tiffany is hoping to translate the success he had at Brown with Virginia's program. He is cited as the hardest working coach by his players, and is well known for his innovative style of coaching and pushing his players to develop.
3) Jim Murphy Bentley University
Murphy has been named the NEILA Division II and NE-10 Coach of the Year four times each and has led the Falcons to four NE-10 regular season championships and three postseason titles. He has been there for nearly a quarter of a century and has generated great success for the program.
2) Jon Torpey High Point University
Named the program's first head coach in 2010, Torpey has been able to build up this program in no time at all. Entering the 2017 season, High Point is one of just 12 programs nationally to win at least nine games in each of the past three seasons. His team praises his ability to push them on and off the field, with always the most utmost respect.
1) Kevin Cassese Lehigh University
Kevin Cassese enters his 10th season as head coach, and his impact has been immediate, leading the Mountain Hawks to back-to-back Patriot League Championships in 2012 and 2013 followed by a third straight appearance in the league title game in 2014. He has led Lehigh to six straight Patriot League Tournaments. His team knows he expects the best out of them in all aspects of life, but encourages them to have the same expectations of him as well. He isn't just seen as a coach to them, but a mentor as well.
Photo courtesy of: Alchetron
* Originally published on March 26, 2017, by Kaila Pinkney
