After a long month of speculation on social media, the University of Virginia finally has its new men’s lacrosse coach. And in the end, the Cavaliers went to the Brown well once again.
Lars Tiffany, who just a few weeks ago led Brown to its first Championship Weekend appearance since 1994, officially accepted the UVa job on Tuesday. He will succeed his former coach Dom Starsia, who also came from Brown when he took over in Charlottesville in 1993.
Starsia was ushered out after a 24-year stint at UVa, where he won 274 games and four national championships. But the program hasn’t been to a Final Four since 2011 and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament altogether in two of the last four campaigns.
Tiffany brings the exciting, fast-paced brand of lacrosse to the ACC that put Brown back in the national picture. In his 10 seasons in Providence, he compiled a record of 95-56 that included four Ivy League titles and a school record 16 wins in 2016 en route to the NCAA semifinal round, where the Bears lost an overtime thriller to Maryland. Under Tiffany’s watch this past season, attackman Dylan Molloy earned the Tewaaraton Award and goalie of the year Jack Kelly claimed the Senior CLASS award.
Tiffany has one previous coaching stint in the state of Virginia, having served as an assistant at Washington & Lee from 1997-98.
“I’m excited to welcome Lars Tiffany to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia to lead our men’s lacrosse program,” Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage said in a statement announcing the hire. “Lars is one of the country’s more innovative coaches.”
