ITHACA, N.Y. – For the second time in the four-year history of the award, Jeff Tambroni, The Richard M. Moran Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse at Cornell University, has been named the FieldTurf Division I Men's Lacrosse Coach of the Year. Tambroni was also the runaway winner in 2007.
After taking his team to the heights of the lacrosse world this season, Tambroni was awarded the Morris Touchstone Award as the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's Coach of the Year. In his ninth season leading Cornell, the Big Red advanced to the national championship game for the first time since 1988. Although Cornell dropped a heartbreaking 10-9 decision in overtime to Syracuse, the Big Red made its presence felt in the lacrosse community with its second final four appearance in three years. Cornell finished the year with a 13-4 record overall and a mark of 5-1 in the conference, earning a share of its seventh straight Ivy League title, the longest stretch since Cornell won 10-straight championships between 1974 and 1983. Cornell's seven consecutive regular season Ivy titles is the longest current stretch by any men's lacrosse team in any conference. Cornell finished the year ranked in the top 10 in the nation in scoring offense (fifth – 12.18), points per game (fifth – 19.12), scoring margin (sixth – 3.76), assists per game (sixth – 6.94), face-off win percentage (10th – .552) and ground balls per game (10th – 34.94).
Tambroni is currently ranked fourth among active Division I coaches in winning percentage (.740) and hit the 95-win plateau with an 11-8 victory over Hofstra on May 9. He became the second head coach in Cornell men's lacrosse history to reach that mark. The 2004 Ithaca Journal Male Coach of the Year and three-time national Coach of the Week, Tambroni has overseen eight consecutive seasons with nine or more wins on East Hill, including four campaigns in which the team achieved 11 victories, as well as the 2007 season in which Cornell finished with 15 wins.
Cornell opens the 2010 campaign on Feb. 27, as it travels up the road to Geneva, N.Y., to take on in-state rival Hobart in college lacrosse's oldest rivalry.
