Bio

Pat Cooney begins his eighth season as head men's lacrosse coach at Salve Regina. Last year, the Seahawks posted a 9-8 mark and earned the No. 5 seed in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) by virtue of a 6-4 conference mark. Led by TCCC Offensive Player of the Year Chris Walker, the Seahawks traveled to No. 4 Roger Williams for a quarterfinal playoff contest, where they suffered a 9-8 loss.

The 2009 TCCC Coach of the Year, Cooney came to Newport with a history of helping young collegiate lacrosse programs build a strong foundation, a trend that has continued at Salve Regina. After winning just 19 games during the first nine years of existence, the Seahawk men's lacrosse program has tallied 44 wins in the last five seasons - including 10 wins in 2009, when the Seahawks advanced to TCCC Semifinals for the third time in the last four seasons.

Since arriving at Salve Regina, Cooney has worked tirelessly to recruit outstanding student-athletes. "These young men have spearheaded the Seahawks success in all areas at the University," Cooney said. "The success of any collegiate team is dependent upon the responsible pursuit of excellence both on and off the field."

As a coach, Cooney incorporates an aggressive, up-tempo style of play with the Seahawks. By recruiting student-athletes of superior character, he is able to foster the creativity and growth of each individual through athletics. Cooney has put an emphasis on academic success with the team members earning an average GPA of 2.9. By academically and athletically retaining student-athletes, the team has grown in spirit, experience and skill. In 2009, Brian Walker (3.64 GPA, accounting) received TCCC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. Last season, graduate student Nick Clark was selected to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Scholar All-America Team. He was one of 70 student-athletes throughout NCAA Divisions I, II and III honored by the USILA.

With the continued success of the program, the roster has grown to more than 30 outstanding student-athletes. In addition to playing conference games in TCCC against the likes of nationally-ranked Endicott College and Western New England College, Salve Regina consistently schedules non-conference games against top programs throughout the region.

"Our goal is to win the cup - The Commonwealth Coast Conference championship. We prepare to win by working hard with purpose: competing to win one game at a time, one practice at a time," Cooney said.

Cooney gained notice in 1996 when he became the youngest head coach (23 years old) in the country, taking over the program at his alma mater, Roger Williams University. He spent four years as the head coach, building the foundation of a strong program and posting three straight winning seasons from 1997-99. In 2000, he went to Elmira College, serving as assistant coach and admissions counselor. At Elmira, Cooney helped a talented Soaring Eagles ballclub win a share of the Empire 8 Conference title. He then joined the coaching staff at Bryant College from 2001-03, serving as assistant coach and compliance coordinator for the Bulldogs. Cooney helped both colleges achieve their highest-ever national ranking in their respective divisions.

Cooney assists other Seahawk head coaches as the recruitment coordinator for Salve Regina's athletic department. Cooney has served on the USILA DIII All-American selection committee. A native of Long Island, Cooney was a standout player at Chaminade High School and Roger Williams University.