ALBANY – Dr. R. Mark Sullivan, President of The College of Saint Rose, announced at a press conference today that Liam Gleason has been named the College’s first head coach for men’s lacrosse. The announcement was made at the College’s new Plumeri Sports Complex that houses the Golden Knights men’s and women’s soccer, baseball and softball programs. It will furthermore be home to the Saint Rose men’s lacrosse squad that is set to play a limited varsity schedule in 2011-12 and a full NCAA Division II and Northeast-10 Conference slate in 2012-13.
“Liam brings the knowledge, dedication and passion to develop a successful lacrosse program at The College of Saint Rose. He furthermore has a wealth of experience and a proven track record as both a player and a coach that make him an ideal fit for the Saint Rose community,” said Athletics Director Cathy Haker.
Gleason, who will officially begin his appointment later this spring, brings a wide breadth of experience to Saint Rose. He played collegiately both locally at the University at Albany and at future NE-10 rival Adelphi University. He is furthermore actively engaged with the lacrosse camp and club program circuit throughout the country.
Gleason is currently in his third season as an assistant to Siena head coach Brian Brecht. He primarily works with the defense and the day-to-day operations of the Saints men’s lacrosse office. In 2007-08, he guided Siena’s defense to the nation’s (NCAA Division I) top goals-against-average. The unit then wound up second in that category a year ago.
Gleason helped guide the team to its first-ever Metro Atlantic Collegiate Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008-09 when Siena posted an unblemished 8-0 league mark. A year earlier, the Saints established themselves as the first MAAC school to defeat an Ivy League team (Harvard) and a top-25 team (Loyola, MD).
The former long stick midfielder and defenseman at UAlbany helped lead the Great Danes to the 2007 America East Conference championship when they finished the year 15-3. He was a primary contributor for that team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and was ranked as high as #2 in the nation during the season.
Gleason, who graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons at Adelphi and also played professionally in 2008 with the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse.
Gleason’s coaching career began with his tenure at the Shoreham Wading River Boy’s Lacrosse Camp on Long Island where he helped with camp operations.
He also served on the coaching staff at the Blue Chip 225 camp in Fairfield, CT during the past two years where he assisted with the instruction of some 375 high school students. Gleason has furthermore worked as an instructor at numerous other prestigious camps including the Top 205 in College Park, MD and the Brown Showcase in Providence, RI.
Men’s lacrosse will mark the 18th intercollegiate athletics program sponsored by the College. Saint Rose reinstated men’s and women’s indoor track and field in 2007-08, a year after both outdoor programs were restored. Men’s golf was added in 1999-00. Student-athletes also don the Golden Knights logo in men’s and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, baseball, and softball.
Lacrosse, widely considered America’s first sport, is the fastest growing sport in the NCAA. The number of participants at the Division II level nearly tripled from 1981-82 to 2007-08 according to the NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report covering that time frame. In 1981-82, 476 student-athletes took part in men’s lacrosse. That number ballooned to 1,258 in 2007-08.
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