Together We Transform Thursday – June 27, 2019
Welcome Home Anthony Gilardi!
I could not be more excited to welcome Anthony Gilardi, who we announced last week as our new head men's lacrosse coach, back home to Long Island. Anthony is the right person to lead our program forward and has already hit the ground in a full sprint.
Before I talk more about Anthony and what made him the ideal choice to lead us forward, let me say that conducting a head coaching search requires a combination of patience and urgency. While those might be contradicting terms, the desire to move quickly must be balanced by the need to do our due diligence. No two coaching searches are alike, and this one was truly unique.
For starters, only 73 schools compete in men's lacrosse at the Division I level so head coaching positions are extremely difficult to come by. The fact that we have a talented group of returning players and excellent facilities also made the position very desirable. I expected there to be significant interest in the job but I had no idea what was coming. The quality and depth of our candidate pool, which included sitting head coaches as well as top assistants, exceeded my expectations.
I had the privilege to speak with some exceptional coaches who have achieved significant levels of success, leaving me with a very difficult decision. The fact that I made the decision that I did should tell you something about Anthony Gilardi.
Anthony competed hard for this job and won it. He brings a fire and passion that will resonate loudly with our current players, recruits, fans and alumni. The blueprint that he helped to create at Towson – ultimately resulting in a Final Four appearance in 2017 as well as a No. 1 ranking in 2019 – was very enticing to me. Plus, as a native Long Islander he is going to do work tirelessly to keep the best players in our backyard home.
There is a great deal more that I could go into, but I believe that Anthony is going to do tremendous things for Stony Brook. I'm excited for our student-athletes to meet him, which they will have the chance to do on Monday. Even though it's only been a week since I offered Anthony the job, he has already made some key moves that will help our program moving forward. We've been in regular contact and he's definitely making things happen!
Celebrating 20 Years of Division I Athletics
The 2019-20 academic year will mark our 20
th at the Division I level. It is a remarkable milestone and further evidence of just how far we have come in a relatively short period of time. We plan to celebrate by looking back at some of our most memorable moments and inspiring individuals over the last 20 years.
Believe me when I tell you that we plan to make our 20
th year as a Division I program our best one yet!
Five Fantastic Years
While Monday will mark the start of our 20
th year as a Division I Program, it also represents my fifth anniversary as AD at Stony Brook.
When I look back on the five years since I arrived on July 1, 2014, I do so with extreme pride. Our vision to positively transform the life of each student-athlete has been at the center of our success in so many areas. It is not only at the core of who we are as a department, it is everything that I am as an administrator.
Our teams are achieving comprehensive success unlike at any point in our history, and we have our first-ever America East Commissioner's Cup to prove it! Helping to fuel that success, however, is our comprehensive approach to the student-athlete experience. This is where we truly excel. In the last five years we have developed a thriving life skills program, achieved a record cumulative GPA, provided enhanced mental health and medical resources to our student-athletes and made performance nutrition a major point of emphasis.
None of it would be possible without people believing in our vision. I owe so much to my amazing team at Stony Brook who work alongside of me each day to bring our vision to life.
We have achieved so much yet there is still so much to do. Thanks for your support and belief. It means the world to me. I also have to thank my amazing wife Bevin and our incredible children Asher, Ramsey and Quinlan. Without their love and support none of this would be possible.
Keep believing!
Warm regards,
Shawn
