TAMPA, Fla. – University of Tampa men’s lacrosse coach Rory Whipple announced the addition of assistant coach Chris Panos. Bringing an impressive resume, Panos will be working with the offense in addition to recruiting, day-to-day operations and game day preparation.
“Chris is a great addition to what I feel is one of the top coaching staff’s in all of DII,” comments Whipple. “Chris has experience at the highest level of the indoor game, making him a great fit to continue to influence the box style of play we are implementing at Tampa. In addition, Chris has gained a great number of contacts which will help add value to our recruiting platform, especially in Canada where he played box and on Long Island where he was a standout at Hofstra University.”
Panos will replace Mike Ryder, who left Tampa to take a coaching position with the new and emerging lacrosse program at the IMG Academy. “The University of Tampa and our lacrosse program are very grateful for the contributions coach Ryder made in helping us get this program off the ground,” praised Whipple about his former assistant who spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Tampa. “Mike remains very closely tied to our program, our players and our staff, and we are very excited for the great opportunity that is presented for him at IMG.”
Panos played lacrosse at the highest level as a 12-plus year veteran of the National Lacrosse League with world class accomplishments and a lifetime of top notch athletic achievements.
The President/Owner of Panos Lacrosse, he built a premier lacrosse organization specializing in superior training for individuals and elite teams. He was solely responsible for building a successful business from the ground up and recruiting prospective superstar athletes. He also implemented a revolutionary program based on an elite training platform for young athletes, managing every aspect of the business and athlete development.
In this position, he was the director, recruiter, and creator of highly sought after camps, clinics, and teams throughout the United States. He was also the Head Coach and Director of highly competitive summer/winter Team Panos travel teams for field and box lacrosse: U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17, and U-19.
From 2010-12, he served as the Director of Coaching/Head Coach U-17 & U-15 for Cascade Clash Lacrosse in Issaquah, Wash. In this position, he was responsible for coaching and leading two teams consisting of 45+ young athletes. Both teams consistently finished at the top of all tournaments played.
Panos also served as the Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach and Program Director at Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Wash., leading a top-10 program from 2011-12. He directed the offensive, defensive, and special teams strategies, as the team was consistently ranked in the top-10 in Washington State.
Prior to that position he was the Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach from 2009 to 2011 at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Wash. He led the top-five Division 2 High School after inheriting a team that was 2-14 the previous season. In just two years, the school advanced to the playoffs and went to the state championship at the end of the third year.
A 12-year National Lacrosse League veteran, Panos was an NLL First Round Draft Pick in 1997as the fourth overall pick in the Draft. He became an NLL World Champion and NLL All-Star as a nine-year Team U.S.A. Indoor Veteran. He was also a two-time Team U.S.A. Indoor Bronze Medalist, Team U.S.A. Bowhunter Cup Champion, Team U.S.A. Heritage Cup Champion and three-time Mann Cup Champion.
While attending Hofstra University, he was part of two NCAA Tournament appearances while being named NCAA All America East in both 1995 and 1996. Hofstra was also an NCAA East Conference Division 1 top-10 team with Panos, who was a four-year starter during his collegiate career.
His professional experience includes time with the Boston Blazers, Brooklyn Redmen Baltimore Thunder, Buffalo Bandits, Victoria Shamrocks, New York Saints, Calgary Roughnecks, Anaheim Storm, Peterborough Lakers, Colorado Mammoth and Chicago Shamrox.
In 2011, he retired from the National Lacrosse League, ranking seventh all-time in goals scored for a U.S.-born player.
A 1996 graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in psychology, Panos previously attended Sachem High School in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
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