Kerwick

Matt Kerwick has been named the Richard M. Moran Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse at Cornell, Andy Noel announced June 11. Kerwick, who served in the position on an interim basis during the 2014 season, becomes the 11th head coach in the program’s 122-year history.

"I am excited that Matt Kerwick has accepted our offer to become the Richard M. Moran Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse," said Noel, the Meakem*Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education. "His performance over the past two years has been exemplary, and I could not be more pleased that he has the opportunity to continue the progress he has made with our program. I am keenly aware that Matt has the enthusiastic support of our team, staff, administration and our loyal alumni. Like them, I am most excited for the future of the program with Coach Kerwick at the helm."

"It is truly an honor to be named the Richard M. Moran Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse at Cornell," Kerwick said. "To have an opportunity to coach at one of the most prestigious universities in the world with one the country's most storied lacrosse traditions is what I've always aspired to do. I'm thankful to Andy Noel and Vice President Susan Murphy for their trust and confidence. I look forward to coaching the tremendous group of student-athletes and working with the alumni that make up the Cornell lacrosse family for many years to come."

Under Kerwick's leadership in 2014, Cornell was selected 17th overall in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook preseason poll, marking the first time since being tabbed 11th in 2003 that Cornell was chosen to finish outside the top 10. Once the Big Red season began on Feb. 22, the team rose in the poll for four straight weeks before earning a No. 2 ranking on March 24. Altogether, the team stayed in the Top 10 for five straight weeks.

The Big Red opened the season with a 9-0 record and was the last undefeated team in the nation. The start was the best by a first-year coach in Cornell history since Ned Harkness won 22 straight. The 2014 team finished the year with an 11-5 record overall and a mark of 5-1 in the Ivy League.

The team won the Ivy League title and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, where it fell to national semifinalist Maryland on a goal scored with two seconds to play. Cornell finished the season ranked first in the Ivy League in points per game, scoring margin, scoring offense, ground balls per game and shot percentage.

Prior to his stint as interim head coach, Kerwick was named an assistant coach for the Big Red for the 2013 season and came to East Hill with 15 years of coaching experience under his belt at such institutions as Georgetown, Jacksonville University, Randolph-Macon College, Alfred University and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, his alma mater.

Kerwick was named the 1996 Super Six Lacrosse League Coach of the Year, the 1997 "Babe" Kraus Division III National Coach of the Year, the 2002 Patriot League Coach of the Year and the 2008 ECAC Co-Coach of the Year.

At his time at Hobart as an undergraduate, he was a two-time All-American, won four consecutive Division III national championships and was named the 1989 NCAA Tournament MVP.

Kerwick resides in Skaneateles and he and his wife Mary have two sons, Thomas and Sean.