BURLINGTON, Vt. – After a decade leading the Vermont men's lacrosse program, head coach
Ryan Curtis announced on Monday afternoon that he is leaving his position. Curtis will be moving on to a coaching and teaching position at Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut. A nationwide search for his replacement will begin immediately.
"First and foremost I want to thank Dr. Bob Corran for taking a chance on me 10 years ago," said Curtis. "I have truly appreciated his support and advice over my time here. My family and I love Vermont and will always be grateful for how welcoming this community was. At the end of the day, an opportunity was presented to me that would allow me to spend more time with my family as my kids grow up and I could not turn that down."
"We are very proud of what we have accomplished here; more proud of the guys on this team and the commitment they have made to building a successful program," Curtis added. "I will miss my guys but know that the program is in a great place and the foundation is very strong."
UVM closed the season on Saturday having posted its most wins (9) since 2006 and the most during Curtis' tenure. The Catamounts earned their first America East Tournament win with an upset victory over Stony Brook in the semifinal round last Thursday. Vermont advanced to the championship game for the first time in program history, falling by one goal to Hartford.
"Ryan has done a remarkable job in building a strong foundation for our men's lacrosse program," said Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics
Dr. Robert Corran. "This past weekend was a clear indication of how far the program has come and what the potential is for the future. We are indebted to Ryan for his service and exceptional contribution to our student-athletes and the lacrosse program, and wish him and his family the very best in their new life at Westminster."
Curtis guided
Ian MacKay to the 2016 America East Offensive Player of the Year award, as the junior became the first Catamount to earn the honor in program history. Junior
Cam Milligan earned a spot on the America East All-Conference Second Team for the second straight season, while freshmen
Jack Knight and
Dawes Milchling were named to the All-Rookie Team.
Last season, Curtis became the first-ever coach in program history to be named America East Coach of the Year. In each of the last two years, he has guided the Catamounts to a program-record four victories in conference play as the team secured its best-ever seed in the conference playoffs.
