Stony Brook's New Coaches Have Local Look

From L-R: Jim Nagle, Wolfie, and Joe Spallina

Everybody was all smiles yesterday as Stony Brook featured both of its newest head coaches in a two-for-one press conference on campus which drew University President, both coaches' families and many members of Long Island's Three Village community. The Seawolves formally introduced new men's lacrosse head coach Jim Nagle and women's lacrosse head coach Joe Spallina, who were both announced over the past week.

Spallina is what Athletic Director Jim Fiore calls his most popular hire, having received calls from all over the Long Island lacrosse community about Spallina. The new women's coach, a Rocky Point, N.Y. native, is embedded in the sport's culture on the island, coming off his third-straight NCAA Division III Championship Title as head coach of area school Adelphi. Spallina also had great success with the Panthers as a player.

And if you didn't think Fiore and the Seawolves could get any more local than Spallina when they hired the men's coach, you thought wrong. The Three Village Patch's coverage of the Nagle hire begins with "Welcome home, Jim Nagle." Nagle practically grew up on the Stony Brook campus as a Three Village native and attending nearby Ward Melville High School. Since leading Ward Melville to the 1988 state championship, Nagle has jumped around, which included his collegiate playing career at Loyola (Md.) and most recently a successful stint as head coach at Colgate University for the past 10 years.

For those who missed it, the Stony Brook Athletics Department has posted a replay of yesterday's press conference here, along with the official releases of the Nagle and Spallina hirings.

America East welcomes both  Nagle and Spallina to the AE Family!