Former NEWMAC Coach of the Year Named Elmira's Men's Lacrosse Coach
Former E8 Student-Athlete Returns to Conference to Lead Soaring Eagles
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Elmira Vice President of Athletics
Pat Thompson is pleased to welcome
Brendan Gorman as the next head coach of the Soaring Eagle men's lacrosse program. Gorman becomes the fifth head coach in program history and will take the reins from Elmira's longest-tenured coach,
Preston Chapman, who stepped down to assume a new role as EC's Director of Athletic Events and Operations and Manager of the Murray Athletic Center.
"Coach Gorman brings extensive D-III experience and great credentials to our lacrosse program, and we are excited to have him join our coaching staff," Thompson said. "His recruiting network opens new opportunities for us. He will hit the ground running, as our non-traditional season is already underway."
"I am extremely grateful that VP of Athletics, Pat Thompson, has given me this opportunity to be part of a department that she has put 40-plus years of love into," Gorman said. "Joining the Elmira College community feels like a bit of a homecoming for me; being back in New York, back at a liberal arts college, and back in the Empire 8 is really exciting for me and my family."
Gorman, a former Empire 8 Conference student-athlete during his playing days at Hartwick College, joins the Elmira community after spending the previous nine years at Babson College, members of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Babson finished with a winning record in eight of his nine seasons and reached 10-plus wins on seven occasions. In addition, the Gorman-led Beavers qualified for the conference tournament every spring, including five appearances in the championship game. He also served as the college's strength and conditioning coordinator.
Overall, Gorman - the all-time winningest coach in Babson history - went a combined 89-67 with a tremendous 46-12 conference record. He was awarded Pilgrim League Co-Coach of the Year in 2011 and was named NEWMAC Coach of the Year in 2015, after guiding Babson to its first regular-season conference title in 25 years. He mentored nearly 50 all-conference selections, including the program's all-time points leader, Alex Patinkin, who won four consecutive All-Pilgrim League awards while amassing a record-setting 239 points (127g-112a) between 2010 and 2013. Gorman also coached defenseman Jack O'Donoghue to United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/Nike Honorable Mention All-America accolades in 2013, just the second Beaver ever to garner All-America honors and the first since 1979.
A four-year letterwinner at Hartwick from 1999-2002, Gorman began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater in 2003 and spent one season as an assistant coach at Lycoming College. He then joined the staff at the Rochester Institute of Technology from 2006-09. During his stint with RIT, a former member of the Empire 8, the Tigers won an E8 Championship and appeared in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Additionally, he helped 13 student-athletes achieve All-America status.
Gorman also boasts international experience as a player for the Burnside Lacrosse Club in Adelaide, Australia, and as the defensive coordinator for the Irish national team.
Off of the field, Gorman has served on a variety of committees for the NCAA, USILA and Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA). He recently completed a three-year term on the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse National Committee and participated in the NCAA's Sports Science Institute Task Force on Student-Athlete Mental Health.
Gorman graduated from Hartwick in 2004 with a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and is certified as a strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Associations (NSCA).
- Information for this release provided by the Elmira athletic communications staff -
About the Empire 8 Conference
The members of the Empire 8 are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and aspire to be regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership seeks to distinguish itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the Empire 8.