BALTIMORE – US Lacrosse has named Kevin Cassese, Dave Pietramala and Jeff Tambroni assistant coaches for the 2014 U.S. men’s national team.
Cassese, Pietramala and Tambroni join the coaching staff led by head coach Richie Meade that will lead the U.S. men’s national team at the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships, hosted by US Lacrosse and set for July 10-19, 2014, in Denver, Colo. The U.S. men’s national team is seeking its 10th world championship after reclaiming the gold medal at the 2010 FIL World Championships in Manchester, England.
“We’re really pleased about the quality and number of coaches who were interested in the positions and especially about the three guys we selected to help coach the team,” said Meade, who was named head coach in December 2011. “It’s a very solid group. Each of the coaches is experienced, tough-minded and brings something special to the group.”
Kevin Cassese is beginning his fifth season as Lehigh’s head men’s lacrosse coach, where, in 2011, he led the Mountain Hawks to their first Patriot League Tournament appearance since 2006. Prior to Lehigh, Cassese served as assistant coach at his alma mater Duke from 2005-07, helping lead the Blue Devils to the 2007 national championship game. As a player at Duke from 2000-03, Cassese was a three-time All-American, two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist and received the Lt. Donald MacLaughlin, Jr. Award as the nation’s top midfielder in 2002.
A three-time U.S. men’s national team midfielder (2002, 2006, 2010), Cassese was part of two gold medal winning U.S. teams at the FIL World Championships (2002, 2010). Cassese has also helped coach the U.S. men’s training team at US Lacrosse’s Stars & Stripes and Champion Challenge events from 2010-12.
“Coach Cassese has been involved in the international game for more than 12 years,” Meade added. “He’s an expert at international lacrosse and the face-off game, and his familiarity with the current player mindset will help him relate really well.”
Dave Pietramala is entering his 12th season as the head coach at Johns Hopkins. He guided the Blue Jays to the 2005 and 2007 NCAA championships and sports a record of 126-41 at Johns Hopkins and an overall collegiate coaching record of 149-58. Johns Hopkins has advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of his 11 seasons with two national championships, two national runner-up finishes (2003, 2008) and six total trips to the final four. The only person in the history of men’s college lacrosse to win an NCAA Division I lacrosse championship as a player and a head coach, Pietramala was a three-time first team All-American at Johns Hopkins during his playing career from 1986-89. He helped the Blue Jays to the 1987 NCAA championship and later starred for the U.S. men’s national team in 1990 and 1994. Pietramala was inducted to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2003.
“We were looking for one guy on each side of the ball and one guy who would be good in the specialty area,” Meade noted. “Coach Pietramala is a great coach across the board, but especially at the defensive end of the field. He has a level of comfort with the international game and will get the most out of the players at the defensive end.”
Jeff Tambroni is entering his second year as head coach at Penn State University. Prior to his arrival in State College, he spent 10 seasons as head coach at Cornell University (2001-2010), where his teams won eight Ivy League championships (2003-2010) and made three final four appearances (2007, 2009, 2010). In 2009, Tambroni was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Coach of the Year after leading Cornell to the national championship game. His overall collegiate coaching record is 116-47, having amassed 109 wins while at Cornell. A 1992 graduate of Hobart University, Tambroni helped lead the Statesmen to back-to-back NCAA Division III championships (1990-91) before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater in 1993.
“Coach Tambroni is one of the most outstanding coaches in the game,” Meade said. “He’s great with offensive players and will be very good at developing schemes to highlight the great talent we have here in the U.S.”
“I want to thank Coach Meade and the committee for their time and effort in screening a deep and talented pool of applicants,” said Bill Tierney, chair of US Lacrosse’s Coaches Selection Committee and former U.S. men’s team head coach. “My experience as a head coach of the 1998 team afforded me the opportunity to work with a great group of coaches and this was our goal for Coach Meade. Clearly, this is one of the most impressive U.S. staffs ever to be assembled. We are all looking forward to great things from them and the team in Denver in 2014.”
Warrior is the official equipment and apparel sponsor of the U.S. men’s national teams. Marriott and Nationwide are official sponsors of the National Teams Program.
