ITHACA, N.Y. – Ben DeLuca, the Richard M. Moran Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse, has announced the hiring of his second assistant coach as Paul Richards will join the staff for the 2011 season. As an assistant coach on DeLuca's staff, Richards will undertake a myriad of responsibilities. On the field, he will be in charge of face-offs and substitutions, while assisting in all facets of the offensive unit. Richards will also serve as recruiting coordinator for the staff as well as performing other administrative duties.

“I'm excited to welcome Paul Richards into the Cornell Lacrosse Family,” said DeLuca. “He is a great young coach with a distinguished lacrosse pedigree and I believe he's going to be a wonderful addition to our staff. He's a local product out of Baldwinsville high school that went on to have great success at Loyola College before playing in the MLL. He's managed to gain invaluable experience during his two years of coaching, most recently as the offensive coordinator at Washington College. Paul has demonstrated tremendous character as a young man and I am confident that his impact will go well beyond the playing field as he helps guide and mentor our student-athletes here at Cornell."

Richards spent the 2010 season working as the senior assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Washington College after spending one year as a volunteer assistant coach at Goucher College in 2009.

As a player, Richards was a first-team All-ECAC selection and North-South Senior All-Star at Loyola while serving as a team captain in 2008. He was also named to the preseason Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List as a senior and was tabbed as a 2008 National Strength and Conditioning Association All-American. He finished his college career with 29 goals, 27 assists and 159 groundballs. Following graduation, he was the 37th overall pick in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse Draft and appeared in six games for the Washington Bayhawks.

A local product that attended nearby Baldwinsville high school, Richards was an All-American for the Bees and was named the Central New York Player of the Year in 2004.

Richards earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Loyola in 2008.