The Keegan Wilkinson era is officially over for Marist men’s lacrosse.
Marist athletics announced Wednesday afternoon that Wilkinson will be stepping down from his position as the head coach, a position he has held for 13 years over his 17-year tenure with the program.
Assistant coach Dave Scarcello was immediately named the head coach of the team, starting a new era of Marist men’s lacrosse for the first time in nearly two decades.
This past season the men’s lacrosse team went 8-7 overall, with a 5-4 MAAC Conference record. Falling to Siena, Scarcello falls in line to get Marist back to its winning ways.
“The last 17 years at Marist have been truly amazing and while leaving is incredibly difficult, I have great confidence in my decision knowing that the program is positioned for tremendous success moving forward,” Wilkinson said in a press release. “I am proud to have established a culture that embraced the challenge to work as hard as we could to put the team in a position to compete for a conference championship every year while also honoring the life and legacy of Edward Taylor Coombs.”
While simultaneously ending his run as the winningest head coach in program history, the Marist men’s lacrosse team saw a meteoric rise in accolades and overall success. The Red Foxes had 14 MAAC major award winners (such as Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, etc.), 33 First Team All-MAAC selections, 24 Second Team All-MAAC honorees, and 20 MAAC All-Rookie Team selections.
Seven of his players advanced to play in Major League Lacrosse or the Premier Lacrosse League–with the most recent being former faceoff specialist Peyton Smith getting drafted sixth overall in 2020.
He recruited and developed the program’s first USILA All-Americans— totaling four—and USILA Scholar All-Americans, totaling 11. During his tenure, 11 Red Foxes participated in the USILA North-South Game, with Wilkinson serving as the North team’s head coach on two occasions.
While boasting an impressive on-the-field run, Wilkinson had a tremendous cultural impact on the team, which was exemplified when he honored the number 34 after the late Edward Coombs. Coombs was a midfielder who suddenly passed away just six weeks into Wilkinson’s 2011 start. Standout players such as Josh Balcarcel and James Lyons donned the jersey, adhering to the qualities of Coombs’s passion, determination, energy and example as a standout member of the community.
Since making his announcement, Wilkinson has taken the job of head coach at Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland.
Scarcello had been with the team for nearly 10 years as both a student-athlete and coach, playing goalie for the Red Foxes from 2012-2015, winning one MAAC Championship in 2015 as a player and two more as a part of Wilkinson’s staff.
Having been named associate head coach in the fall of 2023, he served as another key voice for men’s lacrosse.
“I would like to thank President Kevin Weinman, Executive Vice President Geoff Brackett, Athletics Director Tim Murray, and the community of my alma mater, Marist College, for this tremendous opportunity,” Scarcello said in a press release. “I am so thankful that the leadership of Marist College has entrusted me with the program that means so much to me.”
From 2019 to 2024, Scarcello was given the roles of both offensive and defensive coordinator. As the defensive mastermind, he coached one MAAC major award winner, three First Team All-MAAC selections, and two Second Team All-MAAC selections. The Red Foxes also won the MAAC championship in 2019.
As the offensive coach, Marist won the 2023 MAAC championship over Siena, and Jojo Pirecca was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, the Red Foxes broke the MAAC record for goals in a season with 242, and they set the single-game scoring record for goals with 29 against the Quinnipiac Bobcats in the quarterfinal round of the MAAC Championships.
“I cannot thank Keegan Wilkinson enough for his mentorship over the last 12 years as both a player and coach; spending time under his guidance has been some of the most transformative and important years of my life,” Scarcello said in a press release. “I am forever grateful that he allowed me the opportunity to help build this program with a championship culture and one that, as an alum, we can be incredibly proud of.”
Wilkinson leaves Marist as the winningest head coach in program history, with a 99-85 overall record and a 52-25 MAAC regular season mark. He is tied for the most conference championships (three) and reached 50 career wins faster than any coach in MAAC history. The team is focused on building upon their existing momentum, aiming to return to the championship game and secure their fifth title.
Edited by Dan Aulbach
Image from Marist Athletics
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