Aug. 13, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – After spending the last 15 years as a head coach, Guy Van Arsdale will be an assistant men’s lacrosse coach at Notre Dame, head coach Kevin Corrigan announced today. Van Arsdale, the coach of Major League Lacrosse’s (MLL) Rochester Rattlers for the last three years after a 12-year stint guiding the Rochester Institute of Technology program, replaces the departed Dave Campbell, who was hired last month as the new head coach at Connecticut College.
“We’re thrilled to have a person with Guy’s experience at all levels of the game,” said Corrigan. “I think he is one of the top coaches in the game, and I think this makes our staff one of the most experienced and knowledgeable in lacrosse.”
Van Arsdale and assistant Kevin Anderson join Corrigan on that staff, which has experienced a tremendous amount of success over the years. Corrigan, who has led Notre Dame to 10 NCAA tournament berths since 1990, has a 132-74 (.641) record in 15 years leading the Irish program. He has helped Notre Dame to 11 Great Western Lacrosse League titles and mentored 13 different players to earn All-America honors on 22 occasions (including at least one in each of the last 11 years). In 2001, the Irish reached the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, after being ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation. Notre Dame finished with a school-record 14 victories and only two losses.
Anderson, a former All-American at Loyola College who will be in his eighth year at Notre Dame next season, has helped the Irish to a 60-35 (.632) mark since arriving on campus in 1996 and was instrumental in the ’01 team’s run to the Final Four.
The first coach in franchise history, Van Arsdale compiled an 18-21 (.462) record as Rattlers mentor, helping Rochester to the first-ever MLL Championship Weekend in 2001. The Rattlers barely missed out on the inaugural MLL Championship Game, falling in overtime to the eventual champion Long Island Lizards in the semifinals. Rochester is 4-7 this season, heading into its season finale today at Bridgeport.
Van Arsdale, who also served as assistant general manager of the Rattlers, coached a number of lacrosse greats in MLL. His ’01 team featured the top two scorers in the league, attackmen Ryan Powell and John Grant, Jr. Powell was named the first MLL MVP, while Grant was honored as the ’01 Offensive Player of the Year.
The Rattlers lead MLL in goals scored this season and were tops in team assists in both 2001 and ’03. The ’01 squad also allowed just 165 goals, the fewest surrendered by a team in the league’s young history.
At Rochester Institute of Technology, Van Arsdale compiled a 112-54 (.675) record, earning eight postseason appearances. The Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship on four occasions and reached the semifinals in 1999. A four-time Empire Eight Coach of the Year, Van Arsdale turned out 38 All-Americans while at RIT.
As a player, Van Arsdale was a standout goalie at Hobart, leading the Statesmen to four consecutive national championships from 1980-83. He was named the C. Markland Kelly National Goalie of the Year in each of his final three collegiate seasons, also earning USILA Division III national-player-of-the-year honors in ’83. Van Arsdale still owns four Hobart goalie records — those for saves and save percentage in both a season and career.
Upon graduation, Van Arsdale became an assistant at his alma mater, before filling the same position at Massachusetts-Amherst (from 1985-88) prior to moving to RIT.
Van Arsdale has worked at Rochester Institute of Technology over the last 15 years, serving most recently as assistant director of athletics for development. He also was an assistant coach for the Rochester Knighthawks of the indoor National Lacrosse League for the last three years.
The Geneva High School graduate was inducted into the Geneva Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, the U.S. Lacrosse Western New York Chapter Hall of Fame in ’96, and the Hobart College Hall of Fame in 2001.
Corrigan, Anderson, and Van Arsdale will helm the 2004 Irish squad, which returns 20 monogram winners, including eight starters, from last season’s team that was 9-5 and finished the season ranked 18th in the nation after being listed as high as ninth.