Widely regarded as one of the best teachers, motivators and tacticians in the game, Dom Starsia is in his 18th season at the helm of Virginia men's lacrosse program.
Under Starsia's guidance, his Cavalier squads have won three NCAA titles and reached the final four 11 times. He has won more games than any coach in Atlantic Coast Conference and Virginia history, sporting a 199-65 (.748) record since coming to Charlottesville in 1993. Starsia's overall record, including 10 seasons at Brown, is 300-111 (.725) in 27 years. His 300 career wins puts him in a tie with former Massachusetts head coach Dick Garber for second most all-time by a coach at a Division I school.
He is also one of only three coaches in the history of the sport to win 100-plus games at two different schools. In addition to his 199 UVa wins, he won 101 games at Brown from 1983-92. Jack Emmer won 100-plus games at both Washington & Lee and Army, while Dave Urick topped the century mark at Hobart and Georgetown. Starsia is on the brink of another milestone, needing one more victory to become the second coach in the history of the sport to win 200-plus games at one school, while also reaching the 100-win plateau at another school. Urick barely accomplished the feat first, as Georgetown's final win of the 2009 season elevated him into the 200/100 club.
In fitting recognition of his coaching success, Starsia was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in November 2008, one of only four active Division I coaches so honored.
"The wins and losses are fickle at best," Starsia said during his induction speech. "It's the relationships that stand the test of time. Coaching has never been a career choice. It's my life. During my interview [with UVa], I was asked to describe myself. I didn't know how to respond. I said, ‘honest, and I'll work hard.' And it's really never been more than that."
His induction statement characterized the Cavaliers' 2008 campaign, the first of two straight trips to the NCAA semifinal round. He molded a team that featured a revamped midfield and a first-time starter in goal and reached the brink of a national championship. The journey to Gillette Stadium opened with nine consecutive wins as well as four thrilling overtime wins, only to see it all come to an abrupt end with a heartbreaking double overtime loss to Syracuse in the semifinals.
Fickleness indeed. But relationships endure. Following the loss, Starsia recognized two of the team's leaders, attackman Ben Rubeor and goalie Bud Petit, who played their final game. Petit returned for a fifth year and didn't see much playing time until replacing freshman Adam Ghitelman in midseason.
"For him to come back for a fifth year after sitting for three years behind a classmate, and then to get beat out by a freshman [Ghitelman] and to be supportive of that freshman (is remarkable)," he said after the game. "A month ago, I wasn't sure we had the goods to be here. Bud was one of the guys who helped get us here."
Following a serious automobile accident prior to his senior year of high school, Rubeor worked hard to overcome his injuries and turned in a stellar career at Virginia, both on and off the field.
"(Ben is) the kind of guy you want to be involved in your life for four years - a great student, a great person, a great lacrosse player, a tough kid. He doesn't look like much physically but gives it to you every day," the head coach said. "I don't think you could ask for much more."
"I don't mean to be melodramatic," he continued, "but these kinds of stories are the compelling reason why I continue to do this."
A key aspect of Starsia's coaching success is his ability to recruit and cultivate talented players. Virginia has had three first-team All-Americans on five different occasions, including the 2006 national championship season, under Starsia.
Starisa's 2009 squad fell for the second straight year in the NCAA semifinal round in an upset loss to Cornell at Gillette Stadium. However, during a season where Starsia equaled his second-highest win total for a season (15), UVa fans saw plenty to cheer about as the Cavaliers led the nation in scoring offense (13.0), assists per game (7.83) and points per game (20.83) as Danny Glading and Shamel Bratton took home first team All-America honors, foll0wed by second team nods by Garett Billings and Brian Carroll. Defense wasn't lost on the Cavaliers as they finished No. 2 in the nation in groundballs per game (40.78) and No. 3 in scoring margin (4.44), while having the nation's No. 3 winning percentage (.833), prompting Ken Clausen to earn his second first team All-America nod.
During his coaching tenure, Virginia has featured 104 All-Americans (25 first-team, 25 second-team, 23 third-team and 31 honorable mention choices), 63 All-ACC selections, eight ACC Rookies of the Year and five ACC Players of the Year. In addition, UVa has produced four NCAA Championship MVPs (Michael Watson in 1996, Conor Gill in 1999, Tillman Johnson in 2003 and Matt Ward in 2006) and 30 All-NCAA Tournament selections, all since 1994.
Starsia's program never wavers from the emphasis on sportsmanship. Following the national championship season of 2003, the program received the Jim Adams Award, the national lacrosse award for sportsmanship. The next year the team slipped to a 5-8 record but still received the Atlantic Coast Conference's Sportsmanship Award in the first year it was presented. The program then won the league's sportsmanship award for three years afterward.
"Sportsmanship remains a priority for us, and the fact that we have been able to win these award in all different kinds of seasons, I think speaks a lot about the ideals that are important in this program," said Starsia.
Excellence in Starsia's program isn't only defined by what happens on the field. His teams excel in the classroom as well. Fifteen Cavaliers have been named Scholar All-Americans under his tutelage, including at least one in the last five seasons, the longest streak in the nation. Ben Rubeor earned All-America recognition for his athletic excellence as well as his academic prowess as a junior and senior. Last season five of the seven Cavaliers who were named All-Americans posted GPAs above 3.0.
The fall of 2009 has brought national attention to his program's humanitarian efforts, highlighted by senior Max Pomper being honored with the IMLCA Boston Market Humanitarian Award for his efforts in raising nearly $10,000 for UVa's HELP crisis hotline through a flag football tournament initiated in remembering fallen teammate Will Barrow. Clausen gained national attention with his "Mustache Madness" initiative, a nation-wide effort that raised nearly $33,000 in November 2009 for prostate cancer research and awareness.
Under Starsia's direction, the Cavaliers have enjoyed a remarkable era of success that is rivaled by few programs. In addition to winning three NCAA championships, UVa has reached the title game two other times, the semifinals six more times and the quarterfinals three times under Starsia. Overall, Virginia has advanced to the Final Four 11 times in Starsia's 17 seasons at the helm.
Virginia's 2006 squad will go down as one of the greatest in the sport's history. Starsia led the men in orange and blue to an unprecedented 17-0 record en route to the program's third national championship in eight years. The team was dominant throughout the season, winning by an average of more than eight goals per game. The offense led the country in scoring (15.28), while the defense ranked 10th, allowing fewer than eight goals per game. Eight Cavaliers were named All-America, the most in program history, and senior Matt Ward received the Tewaaraton Trophy as the best player in the nation.
The Cavaliers won their second national championship under Starsia in 2003 when they capped an exciting four-game title run with a 9-7 victory over top-ranked Johns Hopkins in the NCAA finals. The Cavaliers closed the season with a 10-game winning streak to win both the ACC and NCAA championships and finished with a 15-2 overall record.
In 1999, Starsia guided the program to its first national championship in 27 years with a thrilling 12-10 victory over Syracuse in the NCAA title game. Virginia concluded that historic campaign with a 13-3 record. The Cavaliers also won their second ACC Tournament crown in three years with an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over top-seeded Duke.
The list of exceptional athletes to play for him reads like a "Who's Who" of the lacrosse world. Matt Ward (2006) and Chris Rotelli (2003) capped their national championship seasons by winning the Tewaaraton Trophy as the top player in the nation.
Ward was also named the USILA Player of the Year in 2006, one of three Cavaliers to win national honors that season; Michael Culver was named the Defenseman of the Year, while Kyle Dixon was selected the Midfielder of the Year.
Tillman Johnson became the only player in the program's history to win two USILA national awards in one season. He turned in two electric performances in the 2003 Final Four and was named the Player of the Year and Goalie of the Year.
Two icons of the sport-Jay Jalbert and Conor Gill-won a national championship at UVa in 1999, before going on to continued success at the professional level. Jalbert was the MVP of Major League Lacrosse in 2003, while Gill was named the league's MVP in 2004.
Virginia claimed two national award winners in the same season for the first time ever in 1996 when Doug Knight was named Player of the Year and Michael Watson was chosen Attackman of the Year. Two more Cavaliers received USILA national awards in 1999 as Ryan Curtis was selected Defenseman of the Year and Jalbert was named Midfielder of the Year.
A native of Valley Stream, N.Y., Starsia came to UVa from his alma mater, Brown University, where he distinguished himself as an outstanding coach and athlete.
Starsia became Brown's head lacrosse coach in 1982 and compiled a 10-year record of 101-46, while establishing himself as one of the top young coaches in the game. His teams boasted the best Ivy League record and the best overall record for any Ivy League school over that 10-year span. While at Brown-where he remains second on the school's list for most wins-he developed five first-team All-Americans, 20 Ivy League first-team players, four Ivy League Players of the Year, and three Ivy League Rookies of the Year.
He took the Bears to the NCAA playoffs in five of his last six years, including the last three. The Bears won two Ivy League titles (1985 and 1991) and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals three consecutive seasons (1990-92). Starsia led them to their finest season in 1991 with their first-ever undefeated regular season (13-0). They also won the Ivy League title and the New England Championship, and finished with a No. 2 national ranking. Starsia received the Morris Touchstone Award as the Division I Coach of the Year in both 1985 and 1991 while at Brown.
An outstanding high school football player, Starsia had never seen a lacrosse game before entering Brown as a student in 1970. Showing natural talent for the game, however, he became one of the best defensemen in school history. He was a third-team All-American in 1973 and 1974, earning first-team All-Ivy and All-New England both years. He captained the Bears in 1974 and played in one NCAA playoff game as well as the annual North-South game.
Starsia also captained the freshman football team and played wide receiver on the varsity for two seasons. He was inducted into the Brown University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981 and the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame (Newton, Mass.) in 1996. He received the Frank Lanning Award for lifetime achievement of overall contribution to the Rhode Island sports community from the Rhode Island Organization of Sportswriters and Sportscasters in 1992. In 2000, Starsia was chosen one of Brown's "Top 100 Athletes of the Twentieth Century" and to the Brown men's lacrosse "Team of the Millennium."
Starsia earned his bachelor's degree in American Civilization in 1974. Upon graduation, he joined the Brown athletic staff as a full-time assistant to the legendary men's soccer and lacrosse coach Cliff Stevenson. Starsia coached the women's soccer team from 1974 to 1976 and succeeded Stevenson as head lacrosse coach in 1982.
He was a standout club player following his playing days at Brown and was named Club Defenseman of the Year in 1979 and club All-American in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980.
Starsia is also active in the lacrosse community on a national level. He currently serves on the NCAA Championship advisory committee, the USILA All-American selection committee, the Tewaaraton Trophy selection committee, as well as the ACC Sportsmanship Committee and received the Howdy Myers Man of the Year Award in 2006.
He has been the president of the Men's Council of U.S. Lacrosse and a member of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Executive Committee. He has coached in the North-South game twice; a North win in 1990 and a South win in 2005.
Starsia was inducted into the Central Virginia chapter of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2003 and is a charter member of Brown University's Advisory Council on Athletics.
STARSIA'S BIOGRAPHY AT-A-GLANCE
Born: April 21, 1952, in New York City. Family: He is married to Kristin Lasagna of Baltimore, Md. The couple has four children: Molly, 26, a 2005 master's degree graduate of UVa's Curry School of Education; Joseph, 24, a 2006 graduate of Lynchburg College and currently an assistant lacrosse coach there and twins, Maggie and Emma, 22. Secondary School: Valley Stream Central HS, Valley Stream, N.Y.College: Graduated from Brown University in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in American Civilization. Coaching Background: Assistant men's lacrosse and men's soccer coach at Brown University (1975-82); head women's soccer coach at Brown (1974-76); named head men's lacrosse coach at Brown in June of 1982. He was named head coach at UVa in July 1992.
Year
School
Record
Postseason
1983
Brown
9-5
1984
Brown
9-5
1985
Brown
12-3
(Ivy League Champions, NCAA Tournament)
1986
Brown
8-6
1987
Brown
10-5
(NCAA Tournament)
1988
Brown
8-6
1989
Brown
9-6
1990
Brown
11-5
(NCAA Quarterfinals)
1991
Brown
13-1
(Ivy League Champions, NCAA Quarterfinals)
1992
Brown
12-4
(NCAA Tournament)
1993
Virginia
10-5
(NCAA Quarterfinals)
1994
Virginia
13-4
(NCAA Finals)
1995
Virginia
12-3
(NCAA Semifinals)
1996
Virginia
12-4
(NCAA Finals)
1997
Virginia
11-3
(ACC Champions, NCAA Quarterfinals)
1998
Virginia
8-5
(NCAA Quarterfinals)
1999
Virginia
13-3
(ACC Champions, NCAA Champions)
2000
Virginia
13-2
(ACC Champions, NCAA Semifinals)
2001
Virginia
7-7
(NCAA First Round)
2002
Virginia
11-4
(NCAA Semifinals)
2003
Virginia
15-2
(ACC Champions, NCAA Champions)
2004
Virginia
5-8
2005
Virginia
11-4
(NCAA Semifinals)
2006
Virginia
17-0
(ACC Champsions, NCAA Champions)
2007
Virginia
12-4
(NCAA First Round)
2008
Virginia
14-4
(NCAA Semifinals)
2009
Virginia
15-3
(NCAA Semifinals)
Starsia's Record as a Collegiate Head Lacrosse Coach Career Record: 300-111 (.730), 27 seasons; 21 NCAA appearances At Brown: 101-46 (.687), 10 seasons; 5 NCAA appearances, 2 IVY League Championships At Virginia: 199-65 (.754), 17 seasons, 16 NCAA appearances, 5 ACC Championships, 3 NCAA Championships Career Conference Record: 77-33 (.700), 27 Seasons; 7 Conference Championships
CAREER USILA Polls vs. Top 20 vs. Top 5 vs. No. 1 When No. 1 When Top 5 150-72 49-55 10-10 24-6 169-45
Milestone Wins Victory No. 1: vs. Boston College (14-4), March 22, 1983 Victory No. 25: at Princeton (12-11), April 13, 1985 Victory No. 50: at Army (15-4), March 19, 1988 Victory No. 75: vs. Dartmouth (16-7), April 28, 1990 Victory No. 100: at Cornell (16-8), May 2, 1992 Victory No. 200: vs. Butler (11-8), May 1, 2001 Victory No. 300: vs. Johns Hopkins^ (19-8), May 17, 2009
Full Scoreboard
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Widely regarded as one of the best teachers, motivators and tacticians in the game, Dom Starsia is in his 18th season at the helm of Virginia men's lacrosse program.
