Jeff Tambroni named new head coach for Cornell men's lacrosse

Cornell Director of Athletics Andy Noel announced June 8 that Jeff Tambroni, who has served as an assistant coach for the past three years, will take over as head coach of the men's lacrosse program. Tambroni succeeds Dave Pietramala, who left Cornell to take over the head coaching duties at his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University.

"Jeff is the ideal leader to continue the positive direction of the Cornell lacrosse program," Noel said. "He is an outstanding coach and a great person. I could not be more pleased with his appointment."

A former three-time All-American lacrosse player at Hobart College, Tambroni joined the Cornell lacrosse staff as an assistant coach in September 1997. He has been responsible for coaching the Big Red offense during his tenure, and his influence helped Cornell rank 14th in the nation in scoring offense (11.43 goals per game) and 14th in extra-man opportunities (26 for 70, .371) this past season. Cornell's record has improved each of the three years he has been on the staff, going from 6-7 in 1998 to 7-6 in 1999 and 10-4 this past spring. The Big Red earned its first berth in the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship since 1995 this year, dropping a hard-fought 14-12 decision to Georgetown in the first round.

Prior to joining the Cornell staff, Tambroni served as assistant coach at Loyola College for two years. He helped guide the Greyhounds to a 10-4 record in 1997, and he assisted in all facets of the program, including recruiting and on-field coaching. Tambroni served as Loyola's offensive coordinator, focusing specifically on extra-man situations.

Before moving to Baltimore, Tambroni was an assistant coach at Hobart for three seasons, helping the Statesmen to the 1994 NCAA Division III championship game. He was an assistant as the team made a successful transition to NCAA Division I competition in 1995, and the team finished the season ranked 12th in the nation.

A 1992 graduate of Hobart with a bachelor of arts degree in American studies, Tambroni was named first-team All-America as a senior after scoring 33 goals with 24 assists. He was a second-team All-American selection in 1990 and 1991, as the Statesmen won the NCAA Division III championship, and he was named most valuable player of the 1990 championship game. Tambroni had his most productive season in 1990, scoring 69 points on 38 goals and 31 assists. He concluded his college career tied for seventh on Hobart's all-time scoring list with 202 points. He ranks sixth in assists (99) and 12th in goals (103).

A native of Camillus, N.Y., where he was a high school All-American while playing at West Genesee High School, Tambroni coached the Heaton Mersey Lacrosse Club of the English Lacrosse Union for one year following his graduation from Hobart. He also served as a visiting coach for the Czech-American Lacrosse Foundation in Prague in the summer of 1996.