Anthony Gilardi joined the Stony Brook Men’s Lacrosse program after eight seasons at Towson, six in the associate coach role. He revamped the coaching staff and brought his high-octane, attacking game plan to the Island.
“It was certainly interesting but coming in as a brand new coaching staff, what we asked the guys to do was buy in to our ways of doing things. For us the biggest thing was if we can instill that culture and get the guys to buy in. I think the guys really bought in to that and we saw it on a daily basis. We were getting on the field as long as the season went on.”
Stony Brook went 5-2 overall, but were unable to play any conference games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gilardi praised former Stony Brook head coach Jim Nagle for recruiting strong players
“Credit to Jim Nagle for bringing in good kids. We talked about that immediate buy in we were able to have is based on the kids you have. We have great kids and from there, it was more of putting together my plan. We wanted our culture moving forward– This is how we are going to go to the weight room, this is what we are going to dress in, this is how we are going to practice.”
The largest margin of victory or defeat against opponents this season was four goals. The Stony Brook offense saw a rise in different scorers, including Caleb Pearson. The sophomore midfielder was responsible for all three of the team’s OT game-winners.
“He bailed us out of a lot of games this year, for sure. Caleb is someone we knew from the recruiting process. We knew about the talent he had. We used to have a big recruiting tournament [at Towson] and his club team came and when Stony Brook got him, we said ‘man Stony Brook got him, that kid is good.'”
While the sophomore pushed the team forward late, seniors were the team leaders on both sides of the ball. Gilardi confirmed at least eight seniors will be returning for the 2021 season, including goalkeeper Michael Bollinger.
“We are excited to have him back. He is someone who wants to be a civil servant so he is working through that process. But, his aspirations is to finish it out with his teammates so that was a big coup for us. Mike has played a ton of lacrosse, but he is just a great kid.”
Although the men’s lacrosse program received votes during the 2020 season, the women were consistently ranked among the top-10 nationally. Led by head coach Joe Spallina, the women’s lacrosse team has won the last seven conference titles and appeared in several consecutive NCAA Tournaments. It did not take long for the two head coaches to forge a strong connection.
“[Spallina] has really been an unbelievable soundboard for me as a first time head coach. He has connected from the grassroots all the way up and has success from winning national championships with Adelphi to coaching the [New York Lizards]. Just interacting with how things work– it’s been really fun. He is someone I would text all the time. To have a women’s head coach of your sport connect with you like that is really unique and powerful. Programs that are like that, both tend to have a lot of success.”
The team has not arrived on campus yet but will be tested when they do, Gilardi revealed. New guidelines forced team’s to adjust meeting together from in-person to Zoom meetings. The lack of in-person engagement has had a tough impact on the team.
“We all miss being around each other. The games and competition is one thing, but what you really miss as a coaching staff is being around the players. It’s tough when you see them on the screen as opposed to giving them a hug after they do a great job on a final exam and you pump them up in front of everybody. That is what we are looking forward too.”
There was much for the lacrosse program to celebrate this season. One memory Gilardi holds above the rest was securing his first head coaching win– a 13-12 OT victory over St. John’s on Opening Night.
“We were up-down-up-down, when you see those guys battle and find a way to get a win, that is a win I’ll always remember. Just seeing them celebrate and be together in the locker room is something I will always remember.”
While there is no timetable for when the team will be allowed to practice together again on the field, Gilardi is planning ahead. Besides discussing strategy with his team, the head coach is also working on getting connected with families.
“One of the things we did last year that we plan to do next year is have a welcome back barbecue. This past summer I thought it was really important because these parents were trusting me with their kids and I didn’t know any of them. So I thought as a parent, I thought it was important for them to know who is the guy coaching their son.”
Check out the full interview here. All quotes attributed to WUSB Radio
