Sept. 5, 2000

South Bend, Ind. — Matt Rienzo, a standout defenseman at Georgetown from 1994-97, has been named an assistant coach on the University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse staff. Rienzo, who will work primarily with the Notre Dame defensemen, replaces Will DeRiso who left in May to enter private business.

Rienzo comes to Notre Dame after serving for one year as the assistant dean of students and head boys lacrosse coach at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., his alma mater. He guided the Purple Eagles to a 14-7 record in 2000 and as Gonzaga advanced to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) finals.

A three-year starter for the Hoyas, Rienzo was a tri-captain at Georgetown during his final season in 1997. He led the squad to a 9-5 mark that spring as the Hoyas finished with a final ranking of seventh in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse poll and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history, During his four-year career, Georgetown teams compiled a 37-17 mark for a .685 winning percetage.

Rienzo was selected team co-MVP in both ’96 and ’97 and finished his career with two assists and 85 ground balls, leading the team in that category with 38 in 1996. He also played in the North/South All-Star Game following his senior season and was a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association honorable mention all-america selection that same year.

Since his graduation from Georgeotwn, he has played with the Capital Lacrosse Club in Washington, D.C., and in the summer of 2000, was a member of the Select US Lacrosse Team that participated in the Prague Cup in the Czech Republic.

A native of Fall Church, Va., he graduated from Gonzaga High School in 1993 and served as team captain and earned MVP honors in his senior season. Rienzo garnered all-league and first-team all-Metro honors in his final scholastic season and also was a participant in the National North/South All-Star Game. Born April 12, 1975, his father, Frank, is the former athletic director at Georgetown University. He received his bachelors degree in English with a minor in theology from Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences in ’97.

“We are very excited to add such an outstanding your coach to our staff,” Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan says. “Matt’s experiences as a player and high school coach have prepared him well for Notre Dame and coaching at the collegiate level.”