Jan. 30, 2012

Stony Brook women's lacrosse head coach Joe Spallina has been named the head coach of the Long Island Lizards men's lacrosse team, a member of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the franchise announced Monday.

Leading the Lizards will be in addition to his duties as the head coach at Stony Brook, and he will not miss any Seawolves practices or games. The MLL season runs from the end of April to the end of August.

"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be the next head coach of the Long Island Lizards," Spallina said.  "I have had the chance and experience to learn from Jim Mule the past two years, and I am forever grateful to have worked with one of the most famed coaches in MLL history. I look forward to bringing this franchise to the top of the MLL with a hard working dedicated style of coaching. It is an honor to be coaching in the MLL especially for one of the original franchises, and I am excited to make the most of this outstanding opportunity. I also want to thank my wife and four children for their unwavering support in adding this position of head coach of the Long Island Lizards to my regular duties as the head coach of the Stony Brook women's lacrosse team."

Spallina previously served as an assistant coach for the Lizards over the last two seasons. In 2010, he helped lead the Lizards to the MLL championship game.

Spallina will take over a Lizards team that has former Seawolves star Timmy Trenkle on the roster and just drafted current Seawolves seniors Kyle Moeller and Robbie Campbell.

Spallina is in his first season at Stony Brook and will have 13 returning letterwinners and 14 newcomers during the 2012 season, including four transfers from Adelphi, which he led to three consecutive NCAA Div. II national championships and had an overall 73-2 record. Spallina and the Seawolves will open the 2012 campaign against Colgate on Feb. 11.