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National Lacrosse Coaches Association

2023 NILCA Hall of Fame Inductee Bios

Earl Brewer

EARL A. BREWER II

 

Championship head coach of Langley High School. All-time winningest public high school coach in Virginia. Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year, Northern Virginia regional coach of the year, pioneer and founder of youth and high school lacrosse teams, member of state championship committee and national rules committee. Frostburg State University graduate, founder, and director of clinics and camps, and owner/director of the Virginia Elite Lacrosse League.

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Growing up in Pasadena, Maryland where he played football and ran high school track, Earl Brewer took to heart his father's advice: "Plan for tomorrow, live for today." A 1977 graduate of Frostburg State University, he used his speed and lacrosse IQ to develop into a talented collegiate midfielder.

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Beginning in 1981, Earl volunteered to serve as the lacrosse coach of the high school club team at McLean High School. A year later, he established the high school team under the sponsorship of McLean Youth Lacrosse and served as both head coach and program director from 1982 to 1986. Under his leadership and direction, McLean Youth Lacrosse became one of the most successful youth lacrosse programs in the Northern Virginia area.


In 1988, Earl took on a new challenge as the first lacrosse coach at Fairfax High School. After a 1-12 season in 1988, he turned the program around and directed the Rebels to their first and only division championship in 1990, with a record of 12-3.

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When Earl took over the head job at Langley High School in 1995, his impact would soon be felt throughout the state of Virginia. In his first season, he guided the Saxons to the Northern Region title game on the way to a 12-5 season. In 21 years at Langley, Earl compiled a record of 288-87 with ten district championships, two regional championships, and an unprecedented four straight Virginia State Championships. He is the winningest public school lacrosse coach in Virginia history with 325 wins overall. Along the way, Earl coached numerous All-Met players along with nine high school All-Americans.

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Earl was named Washington Post All-Met coach of the year in 2009. This recognition was one of many such tributes he received for coaching: Northern Region Coach of the Year (2011) and Liberty District Coach of the year five times. In addition, Earl twice received the Northern Region/US Lacrosse Coaches Association's "Man of the Year" Award (2004 and 2005).


Earl has also been very active in the development of lacrosse off the field in Northern Virginia as a member of the VHSL State Lacrosse Championship Committee, and Boys' Lacrosse Rules Committee for the National Federation of High Schools Association. He established the Great Falls Lacrosse Clinic to introduce the sport to beginning players and the Shooting Stars Lacrosse Camp for players from the first through eighth grades.

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In February of 2017, Brewer received the ultimate honor when he was inducted into the US Lacrosse/Potomac Chapter Hall of Fame. In 2011, Earl retired from teaching in Fairfax County after 30 years of service. Having played such a large role in the development and success of lacrosse in Fairfax County, he stepped away from the high school coaching ranks in 2015. In 2012, he founded and now directs the very successful Virginia Elite Lacrosse League, a fall program for high school players.

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These days Coach Brewer also serves as the color man for Georgetown’s Men’s Lacrosse team on the BIG East Network. This spring will be his ninth season with the Hoyas. Brewer resides in Chantilly with his wife Kim and has two sons, Drew who is a project engineer with Tesla in Fremont, California, and Eric, a 2023 graduate of the College of William and Mary.

Ed Colverd

EDWARD COLVERD

 

Ed began his coaching career at Alva T. Stanforth Junior High School in Elmont in 1970.  In his first year, he coached the Tigers to an undefeated 10-0 season and in 1971 he led the team to a 9-1 record.  In 1975 he was named the Freshman Lacrosse Coach at Manhasset Jr-Sr High School and directed the team to seven consecutive undefeated seasons compiling a 70-0 record. He then became a Varsity Lacrosse Coach at St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset.  He led the Gaels to two championships and a 237-85 record.  His teams were consistently highly ranked statewide.  While at St. Mary’s Ed was twice named the NSCHSAA coach of the year and was twice named the Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the game of Lacrosse.  Ed’s overall record is 355-87 (.803 pct.)


Ed has coached numerous high school and college lacrosse All-Americans during his career and coached the Long Island Empire Lacrosse team to four gold medals and one silver medal from 1995 through 1999.  He also founded the Baggataway Lacrosse Jamboree, with Alan Lowe, and the Long Island Lacrosse Coaches Clinic which was attended by over 200 Lacrosse Coaches for eight consecutive years.  Ed was inducted into the Manhasset Lacrosse Hall of Fame in May 2009.


Ed coached football for 30 years as an Assistant Coach and helped teams win ten County football championships at five different schools.


Outside of coaching, Ed was the Director of Adapted Driver Education at Abilities, Inc. in Albertson for 45 years, where he received national and international recognition for his accomplishments in teaching individuals with disabilities to drive. Ed evaluated over nine thousand individuals with disabilities for driving and taught over six thousand individuals with disabilities to drive. Ed also served as a consultant to motor vehicle bureaus, universities, hospitals, and schools nationally.  Ed lectured at numerous seminars and developed twenty-four Adapted Education programs nationally.

Jim Davidson

JIM DAVIDSON

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Coach Jim Davidson was raised in West Milford, New Jersey where he attended West Milford High School. An accomplished athlete in high school, Jim excelled at football, basketball, and track. After graduating from West Milford in 1981, he attended East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. It was at East Stroudsburg where Jim began his sustained journey of success in lacrosse as he joined the university’s Men’s Lacrosse Club during his freshman year. Four years later he was voted captain of the team by his teammates. 

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After graduating from East Stroudsburg, Jim immediately began his coaching career in New Jersey. At age 22, he started as the Head Coach at Chatham High School in 1986. After coaching Chatham to a state playoff berth in his second year, Jim continued his coaching career at Upsala College in 1989 where he started a new program. He led the team over the next three years to a 21-14 record and two ECAC Metro New York/NJ playoff berths. In 1995 Jim took his talents to Kean University and led the team to a 14-2 record and the Division 3 ECAC Metro NY/NJ Championship. 

While Jim was successful at all prior stops, he is most known for his success at Summit High School in Summit, NJ. Jim is heading into his 25th season leading the Summit High School program. He has guided the Hilltoppers to a win-loss record of 434-81, an astounding winning percentage of nearly 85%. Under his guidance, Summit has won or shared 24 League Titles, 15 County Championships, 11 Group State Championships, and 2 New Jersey Tournament of Championship titles. Jim’s teams have achieved National Rankings for numerous years.

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From 2009 to 2011, Jim’s Summit teams won a New Jersey state record 68 consecutive games, a record that stands to this day. Jim has coached 42 High School All-Americans and 5 New Jersey Players of the Year. He was inducted into the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2007 and was selected as Coach of the Year multiple times. Jim received the Len Roland Sportsmanship Award from the Officials Association in 2000. 

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Jim has also been involved. In a variety of organizations to help promote the game of lacrosse. He has worked closely with the NJ Lacrosse Foundation and is a selector for the Hall of Fame committee. He has also been a board member for 26 years of the Summit Lacrosse Club, which develops the youth players in the town of Summit. In addition, he has been a member of the Summit Men’s Lacrosse Alumni Association since its inception in 2008. Jim has assisted in numerous clinics statewide to help promote the growth of the game, and has been a presenter at the NJ Coaches Association clinic, as well as the US lacrosse convention in 2009. 

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Jim credits all his assistant coaches, the school administration, his players, alumni, and parents for supporting the program and playing an integral part in making Summit a consistent and successful program over the last 25-plus years. 

More than the wins on the field, Jim’s success at Summit is best exemplified by the connection his alumni players have with the current Summit team, as well as the amount of Hilltopper pride all former Summit players possess. Over the years, Jim’s former players have served as assistants on his staff and countless players have assisted in coaching the Summit Futures Lacrosse program with Coach Davidson at the helm. On any given Saturday in the spring, you can also find numerous former players cheering on the current Summit High School team at Tatlock Field. 

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Jim lives in Summit with his wife of 34 years Mary Judith (MJ), and daughter Mary Kate, currently a senior on the Drew University Women’s Lacrosse team.

Brian O'Reilly

BRIAN O'REILLY

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Brian O'Reilly stands as an example of dedication and success in high school lacrosse, having molded champions on the field at Pinkerton Academy for a noteworthy 38-year stint from 1982 to 2019. Under his tutelage, the teams amassed an impressive record of 568 wins to 162 losses. The years of his coaching legacy are adorned with 12 NHIAA state championships as well as 2 Northern New England championships, underscoring the kind of excellence and competitiveness he instilled in his players.


With a tenure spanning over three decades, Brian O'Reilly didn't just coach lacrosse; he became synonymous with it, especially in the annals of New Hampshire’s sporting history. He has been a member of the NHIAA Lacrosse Committee for over 30 years, and chair for the past 5 years, a position through which he impacted the lacrosse landscape in the state. Through his continued dedication, Coach O’Reilly’s program produced 67 high school All-Americans and 10 NCAA All-Americans, showcasing his ability to get the most out of a player’s talent and push them to the next level. Furthermore, he coached five players who would later become integral members of NCAA National Championship teams, embodying the profound and lasting impact of his coaching career.


O’Reilly is often hailed as one of the "founding fathers" of New Hampshire lacrosse, laying down a blueprint on how to build and sustain a successful program. His methodology and consistent approach rendered his teams a force to be reckoned with, dominating the state championships with 21 appearances, notably clinching the titles in his final two years as the head coach in 2018 and 2019. This not only painted a fitting end to a decorated coaching career but also left an indelible mark on the state’s lacrosse narrative.


Beyond the lacrosse field, Brian O’Reilly continues to serve as the athletic director at Pinkerton Academy and the varsity football coach, with 11 state championships. His story is a compelling testament to his undying love for sports, his adeptness at coaching, and an unparalleled legacy that coaches in New Hampshire, and beyond, will look to for comparison.

Bryan Perry

BRYAN PERRY

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Bryan’s coaching career spanned 21 years in Colorado. He began as a freshman coach in 1997 at Arapahoe High School. The following year he was a varsity assistant and then became the head varsity coach in 1999. 


In 2000, led by a senior class that Bryan had coached since they were freshmen, Arapahoe upset perennial Colorado powerhouse Kent Denver in the semi-finals. The team ultimately lost in the State Championship in overtime, but this was a milestone not only for Arapahoe’s program but a tipping point for Colorado lacrosse. The State Championship appearance was Arapahoe’s first, and the first time in 13 years that a team outside of Kent Denver, Denver East, and Cherry Creek had made it to the finals.


In 2003 Bryan left Arapahoe to become the head coach at his alma mater, Cherry Creek High School. His tenure there lasted until 2017, culminating with a State Championship victory and his retirement from coaching.   


When Bryan took the helm at Cherry Creek, he had a goal and vision of making the program nationally relevant.  At that point, Colorado teams struggled when playing against East Coast competition. Bryan traveled with his Cherry Creek teams each year to play against top teams from the East Coast, recording wins against some of the national powerhouse teams from the MIAA, Long Island, and New Jersey along the way.


Bryan’s teams were regularly ranked amongst the top in the Western United States, and always a premier team in Colorado. In fact, in 18 years as a head coach, Bryan had his team in the Final Four all but two years, had 10 State Championship appearances, and 5 State Championship victories. Bryan was fortunate enough to participate in the State Championship in more than half of the years that he was a head coach.


As a player, Bryan began in 7th grade when there were only two other youth programs in Colorado. He went on to play at Cherry Creek High School, earning honorable mention All-State, and then played at Whittier College.

 
When Bryan began his coaching career, high school lacrosse in Colorado was still in its infancy with most games played at local parks as it was a club sport.  Bryan helped to lead a wave of coaches who elevated the game in Colorado.

 

Bryan recalls, “When I took over at Arapahoe, each player had their own custom helmet stickers and decals. It wasn’t uncommon to see helmets adorned with Skoal or Bud Light stickers. Needless to say, we elevated the standards of what it meant to be a high school lacrosse player in Colorado.”

 

To exemplify how much the game has grown in Colorado, Bryan notes that the first game he coached was in a local neighborhood park, and the last game he coached was at Empower Field at Mile High:


“It was my tremendous honor and privilege to be a part of the growth and evolution of the game I love in the state I love. I’m extremely grateful for the induction and honor and would like to thank the multitude of individuals who were a part of the journey along the way.


I would like to thank the administrators and principals who stood by me and helped me to be better and thank you to the opposing coaches who brought out the best in me during our competition. Finally, thank you to all of the players for their dedication, hard work, and sacrifice. I hope that I was able to teach them as much as they taught me.”

Ren Pettinelli

REN PETTINELLI

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Ren began his coaching career at Lafayette HS after moving there from the Syracuse area in 1992. He immediately found himself involved in the small but quickly growing lacrosse community of the St. Louis area.

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After serving as an Assistant Coach and Head JV Coach for 3 seasons, Ren took over the Varsity Head Coaching duties for the 1995 season, where he has remained for the last 29 seasons. While at Lafayette, Ren accumulated over 300 wins, was part of 3 State Championships, participated in an additional 3 State Championship Games, and made appearances in 5 more Final Fours. Lafayette continues to be recognized as the perennial top public school in the state of Missouri. Over 29 seasons as a head coach, Ren has been named Missouri Coach of the Year 5 times and Man of the Year 3 times. Coach Pettinelli has been fortunate to coach 13 All-America and 6 Academic All-America players, as well as over a hundred All-State players during his career at Lafayette HS. Numerous Student Athletes in the program have gone on to play at all levels collegiately and several former players once their playing career ended have joined the coaching and refereeing ranks. Coach Pettinelli is a member of the Missouri Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

 

Off the field, Ren has been involved in Lacrosse at both the State and National level. In Missouri, Ren has served a number of terms as President of the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association and is currently the Treasurer of the organization. He also oversees the All-America process at the state level.

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Nationally, some of Ren’s fondest coaching moments came as a selector for three U19 USA Team tryouts. Coach Pettinelli also ran the National Senior Showcase for USA Lacrosse and served as president of NILA. In 2013, Ren Pettinelli, Joe Baccarella and John Kenney were able to re-organize NILA (NILCA) as a National High School Coaches Association now with over 525-lifetime members. 

Bob Pomponio

BOB POMPONIO

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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – W. Churchill


Entering his 45th year of teaching and coaching at Chaminade High School, Bob, along with his “adopted brother” Jack Moran, has given much to the lives of so many young people. Chaminade and UNC at Chapel Hill alumnus Dain Krusilevic explains, “Coach Pomps – teacher mentor, and friend – has been a key part of young students’ lives and development for over 40 years. He is truly a cut above and has exceptional character, as well as an exceptional ability to impart knowledge and wisdom to all students, athletes and non-athletes alike. Having played for Coach Pomps more than 30 years ago, there are so many of life’s lessons and values that I hold with me today and have had the opportunity to pass on to my own children. Coach Pomps always carries with him the importance of instilling character, confidence, family and commitment values, teamwork, and a genuine passion for excellence.” 


Yale men’s lacrosse head coach Andy Shay echoes these sentiments: “Coach Pomps is one of the greatest teachers of character that I know. He is a once-in-a-lifetime talent as a teacher of leadership and hard work.” 


Bob’s athletic career began in Garden City, Long Island. Junior high school coaches Bob Allen, Richie Smith, and Ed Phillips, along with assistant principal John McDonald, were tremendously influential in his development and future career in teaching and coaching. During Bob’s high school years in the 1970s, he had the great fortune to further develop under the tutelage of Hall of Fame coaches Julio Silvestri, Doc Dougherty, and Jack Moran. Playing beside All-Americans Peter Worstell, and Rich Graham, as well as teammates Tom Holman, Dave Seale, and Jay Runac. Bob and the Garden City Trojans reached the county playoffs annually. 


While at Nassau Community College, Bob once again was fortunate to be guided by Hall of Fame coaches Mike Candel, Richie Speckman, and Paul Wehrum. At Long Island University – C.W. Post, Bob continued his playing career under Vito Venezia and Richie Cama and continued his development. 


Upon graduation, Bob’s teaching and coaching career started where his playing days began: Garden City. There at the high school, he had the privilege to volunteer his services coaching JV football and basketball with longtime friends Bob Zehnder and Tom O’Brien. 


During the 1978-79 season, Bob once again found great favor to be hired to coach Chaminade’s JV lacrosse team by none other than his former high school coach, mentor, and dear friend Jack Moran. For over 40 years, Jack and Bob have been the beneficiaries of the outstanding young men of Chaminade. The two grew the lacrosse program on three founding principles: Faith, Family, and Teammates!


At Chaminade, Bob was again mentored by many outstanding colleagues: Joseph Thomas, Jack Lenz, Bill Basel, and George Toop. To Bob, these men were giants in the field of education and compassion. Quite simply, they showed Bob the importance of nurturing and guiding boys to become outstanding young men, husbands, and fathers. 


Bob is very proud of the development of Chaminade’s practice squad back in the early 1980s. This program encouraged freshmen and sophomores to follow their dreams of playing the game they love, lacrosse. The program later grew into Chaminade’s JV “B” team, comprised mostly of freshmen student-athletes competing across Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut. There are currently approximately 100 players combined on the Chaminade JV A and B teams.
Another proud moment has been the establishment of the annual Clipper Classic, a program designed as a clinic for local public and Catholic school student-athletes. Organized and run by the Chaminade JV A team, this program welcomes Garden City, Uniondale, St. Martin de Porres Marianist School, Bishop Fox Latin School, St. Patrick’s of Huntington, St. Agnes, St. Aidan’s, St. Mary’s, and St. Dominic’s. It has since, however, evolved into a round-robin tournament held each spring at Chaminade’s Gold Star Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility that honors the 56 Chaminade graduates who gave their lives in service of their country; two notable Gold Star Alumni whom Bob coached were Ron Winchester ’97 and Jimmy Regan ‘98. 
Bob states, “I’ve been truly blessed over the many years to have partnered with so many outstanding former players and friends on the Chaminade JV team. Jay Runac, Gerry Fay, Vincent Connors, Paul DeVine, Greg Kay, Mike DeMeo, Jim O’Leary, Adam Giardina, and Scott Cole, are all pillars of the strength of Chaminade lacrosse, as are former All-Americans Stephen Leghart, Marc Reeves, and Rich Grismer, who currently carry the torch of excellence throughout the Flyers’ program.”


Bob is especially proud of those Chaminade alumni who have grown the game in the college ranks: Gerry Byrne (Notre Dame, Harvard), Ryan Wellner (Navy, Notre Dame), Ryan Moran (Maryland, UMBC), Dan Annino (Bates, Johns Hopkins), Keith Lohmuller (Queens, Montreat), and Patrick Cooney (Salve Regina).


Bob is thankful to the very passionate Chaminade Lacrosse Alumni Association, a special group of men under the leadership of Chris Hanley, Bill Ellsworth, Greg Matthews, Dan Hickey, and Kyle Gentile, who continue to serve their communities with pride and integrity. 


Reflecting on his 45 years of teaching and coaching, Bob is grateful and humbled by the countless people with whom he has built meaningful relationships, on and off the field. His inspiration and moral compass have always been his family: his mother, father, sister, and especially his wife of 45 years-Joanne, and his children, Jennifer, Jamie, and Ryan, as well as his son-in-law Brian and his six grandchildren, Sean, Millie, Jack, Ryan, Shannon, and Vincent.

Brad Touma

BRAD TOUMA

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Brad Touma is a career independent school educator who has served as head coach at Charlotte Country Day School in North Carolina for the past 36 years. 

 

Brad attended Detroit Country Day School, where he was taught and played football and lacrosse, alongside NCILA HOF member Rob Ambrose, by Gene Reilly, the founder of Michigan High School lacrosse. After high school, Brad enrolled at Denison University, where he played for the father of Midwest lacrosse, Tommy Thomsen. Upon graduation from Denison with a BA in Political Science and Economics, Touma took a position at Kentucky Country Day School in Louisville where he taught history, and coached football, basketball, and softball. After one year, he moved to the Pingry School in New Jersey, continued teaching European and American History, and became an academic advisor while coaching football, ice hockey, and lacrosse. 

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After a three-year stint, he reconnected with his mentor Gene Reilly at Charlotte Country Day School in North Carolina. Touma has continued teaching various history courses, serving as an academic advisor, and has coached football and lacrosse for 37 years. Touma was instrumental in the early development of high school and youth lacrosse in the state of North Carolina. He helped organize the first high school league in 1988, which included only five teams, currently nearly 150 high school teams play in the state. In addition, Touma was a founding member of the Charlotte Lacrosse Booster Club and the Charlotte Youth Lacrosse Association. He also organized, facilitated, and directed many camps and clinics through the years. Touma founded the Charlotte Lacrosse Jamboree in 1996, an annual event that has raised tens of thousands of dollars for funding research at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University.

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Within the USA Lacrosse organization, Touma was a founding member of the USA Lacrosse Western Chapter in North Carolina, and he has served as the USA Men’s Lacrosse North Carolina High School representative since 1989. 

In addition, Touma coached the south squad in the 1989 Interscholastic All-Star Game at Homewood Field, over the years 14 of his players participated in the annual Senior All-Star Game. Also, 5 Bucs have been awarded the Bob Scott USA Lacrosse Award, 22 of his players have been awarded USA All-American honors and 10 have attained All-Academic status. Finally, Coach Touma was elected to the USA Lacrosse North Carolina Chapter Hall of Fame in 2008.

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During his tenure at Country Day, the Buccaneers have been state finalists 21 times, won over 540 games, and earned 9 state championships and 19 conference titles, making him the winningest coach in North Carolina history. Over 150 Buccaneers have garnered all-state honors, nearly 200 have attained all-conference status and dozens have gone on to play at the collegiate level. 

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At Country Day, 43 of his players have been awarded the Rank of Eagle Scout. Touma has been awarded the Carl Bolick Exceptional Coaches Award, he is a member of the honorary alumni organization, and he was awarded the Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award. Nearly two dozen of his players have served in the United States Military after college graduation including two current Navy Seals. In addition, Touma coached with Mike Cerino, Jim Stagnitta and Tony Resch with the Charlotte Hounds for seven years.

 

Brad has been married to Ginny Dabbs for over 30 years and they have three grown children who all graduated from Country Day.

Mitch Whiteley

MITCH WHITELEY

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Mitch Whiteley has been coaching lacrosse since the spring of 1974. After a playing career at McDonogh School and Dartmouth College, he began teaching and coaching in the Baltimore County Public Schools.  In 1981 he was lured to St. Paul’s to teach and coach in their Upper School. In the 40-plus years since his hiring, he has taught and coached just about everything imaginable while excelling as the head coach of the varsity lacrosse team. In his 11 years leading the lacrosse program, Mitch amassed an overall record of 135 wins and 46 losses while helping his teams to three MSA “A” Conference championships and three semi-final appearances. Twice he coached teams that were ranked first in the country, and he was named the Maryland “Coach of the Year” in 1992 and 2004. In the course of the 1991 through 1993 seasons, his teams won 38 straight games, a special accomplishment in a league that is considered by some to be the most competitive high school conference in the country. The 1992 team that went 17-0 is still regarded as one of the best teams in the history of Maryland high school lacrosse.  After stepping down as the coach of the St. Paul's program, he began coaching the varsity team at St. Paul’s School for Girls and promptly won the IAAM “A” Conference Championship in 2006. His successes with the girls earned him another Coach of the Year award, and he is the only coach in Maryland lacrosse history to have won both the MSA and IAAM “A” Conferences and be named Coach of the Year for both the boys and girls. In addition to his work at St. Paul’s, Coach Whiteley also led the Boston Canons of Major League Lacrosse to the national semifinals in 2001.

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While now being “semi-retired”, Coach Whiteley continues to coach lacrosse at St. Paul’s, currently serving as offensive coordinator and goalie coach of the boys’ varsity squad. In his years of SP coaching, he’s helped send over 200 SP players on to play at the DI level, a group that includes dozens of All-Americans and national champions. Of particular note is the fact that over the past 43 years, St. Paul’s has sent 21 goalies on to play at DI programs, a group that includes Scott Baciagulupo, the only four-time 1st Team AA goalie in history, and Alex Rode, the starting goalie and Final Four MVP on the University of Virginia’s two recent NCAA National Championship teams. 

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Besides his work at St. Paul’s, Coach Whiteley has also been very involved in the development of youth programs in Baltimore City, providing clinics, donating equipment, and raising funds to help the players become the best they can be. An endowment to help provide opportunities for city youth has recently been set up in his name.

Pete Worstell

PETE WORSTELL

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Peter, is grateful for those who have had significant influence in his lacrosse career; his father Gayl - who played lacrosse at Syracuse, the legendary Kirk Jurgelevich (Adelphi), Coach Tom Nolan (Founder of Garden City Lacrosse) and Coach Doc Dougherty (Garden City HS). He further credits Coaches Buddy Beardmore and Dino Mattessich from the University of Maryland.


Some highlights of his coaching career:

  • Founder of the boys and girls lacrosse programs at San Ramon Valley HS, CA 2002

  • Head Coach - San Ramon Valley HS, Danville, CA 2002 -2016

  • 206 wins 

  • 3X CIF Northern California Champions

  • 5X East Bay Athletic League Champions

  • Coached 18 US Lacrosse All-Americans

  • Head Coach -USA West U19 All-Star Team (traveled to England, Scotland & Wales) 2006

  • East Bay Athletic League, CA “Coach of The Year” 2005, 2015

  • Contra Costa Times, CA “Coach of The Year” 2012

  • CIF Northern California Section “Honor Coach of The Year” 2012

  • USA National Team Sub-Committee 2012 - 2014

  • US Lacrosse “Coach of The Year” Northern California 2008

  • Initiated the start of two additional high school programs in Northern California, Monte Vista HS and California HS - 2002

  • Pioneered the launch of Diablo Scorpion Youth Lacrosse, Danville, CA 2001

  • Head Coach - Diablo Scorpion Lacrosse-numerous teams from 1st-12th grade 2001 - 2009

  • Assistant Coach - Moeller HS, Cincinnati, OH 1994 - State Champions 

  • Produced “Wallwork” video for US Lacrosse National Convention 2003

  • US Lacrosse National Convention presenter 2006

  • Founder of “Be The Best” instructional camp for 1st-12th grades. 2001-2015

  • Founder of “California Gold Invitational” - the premier college recruiting platform for selected western high school players 2008 - 2015

  • Previous Hall of Fame Inductions as both a Coach and a 4X All-American Player:

  • Coach - US Lacrosse Northern California Chapter - Class of 2006

  • Coach - San Ramon Valley HS, CA - Class of 2017

  • Player - University of Maryland - Class of 2010

  • Player - Long Island Metropolitan US Lacrosse Chapter - Class of 1997

  • Player - Garden City High School, NY - Class of 1984


Peter has been married for 41 years to his wife Helen (Garden City). They are proud parents of daughter Jennifer, her husband Rick, grandsons Austin and Jack, and their son Patrick and his wife Abby.

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“A heartfelt and sincere ‘Thank You’ to all my former players and fellow coaches. You are the reason I am receiving this incredible NILCA honor. I will never forget your commitment, loyalty, and our journey together!” - Coach Worstell

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