The UVA Lacrosse fan base is not reacting well to the new head coach hire, Kevin Cassese, the associate head coach and offensive coordinator under Lars Tiffany, who, in a bit of a stunner, was not retained after winning the ACC championship this season.
If the motivation was to correct for a couple of subpar seasons – even with the surprise ACC title, the 2026 Cavaliers finished with a 10-7 record, and a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament – do you hire somebody from the staff that got the program to those subpar seasons?
ICYMI
“Kevin Cassese is the ideal leader, person and coach to usher in the next era of Virginia men’s lacrosse,” Athletics Director Carla Williams said, in a statement featured in a press release from UVA Athletics announcing the hire.
Cassese “embodies the integrity and competitive excellence that have defined this championship program for many decades,” Williams said. “Kevin is highly regarded as a fantastic coach and an even better person. He is a winner on and off the field. We are excited that Kevin, his wife Katie, and their children Drew, Anna and Claire will continue to call UVA and Charlottesville home.”
Cassese, a 2003 Duke alum, was a three-time All-American and the 2001 ACC Player of the Year.
The press release from UVA notes that Cassese was the interim head coach at Duke in part of the summer 2006; looking into that, the tenure ran from June 5-July 21 that summer – after the abbreviated season that was cut short by the scandal over rape allegations that turned out to be a hoax, and up until John Danowski was hired to take things over on a permanent basis.
Cassese was hired as the head coach at Lehigh in 2007, and was 136-104 in 16 seasons there, with three NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2012, 2013 and 2021.
He stepped down from the job at Lehigh to take the job at Virginia on the staff of Tiffany; Tiffany had given Cassese his first job in coaching, hiring him in 2004 for his staff at Stony Brook.
Cassese took the offensive coordinator job that opened up when Sean Kirwan left UVA to take over as the head coach at Dartmouth.
I’m seeing chatter from some in the UVA lax fan base about Kirwan being the better choice here, but.
Kirwan’s Dartmouth teams have gone 3-10, 8-5 and 4-9.
So, no.
The past three seasons have seen Virginia go 12-6 and advance to the Championship Weekend in 2024, stumble to a 6-8 finish and no postseason at all in 2025, then the 10-7 record ending with the first-round NCAA tourney loss.
ICYMI
Missing out on Championship Weekend this year was particularly painful, with UVA serving as the host – Princeton beat Notre Dame, 16-9, on Monday, in front of 24,061 in Scott Stadium.
There should have been 60,000-plus there watching Virginia battle for another national title.
That opportunity will never come our way again.
“This is a dream come true,” Cassese said, in a statement provided to us in the press release announcing his hire.
I wonder about that; if the Duke job comes open, does he go back home?
At least he’s saying the right things here.
“UVA Men’s Lacrosse is a brotherhood built on a rich history, unbreakable bonds, and a passionate and persistent commitment to a championship standard unlike any other in our sport,” Cassese said.
“The legends who have worn the orange and blue before us have set a bar of excellence that we will strive to honor every single day. I am humbled to lead this storied program and look forward to adding new chapters to its incredible legacy at Klöckner Stadium.”
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Chris Graham
