COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus College men's lacrosse coach Jamie Steele is stepping down from his post after a highly successful decade with the program.
"Some outside issues have forced me to step away from coaching, but I am so appreciative of my time working here at Ursinus College," Steele said. "From the great coaches and staff to all of my outstanding assistant coaches and the amazing group of players I have had the pleasure to work with over the past nine years, all of you have enriched my life in so many ways. Thank you."
The all-time leader in victories at Ursinus, Steele took over midway through the 2009 campaign and compiled a record of 81-54 in his nine full seasons at the helm, guiding the Bears to three playoff appearances and back-to-back appearances in the Centennial Conference championship in 2015 and 2016. Ursinus went a combined 28-7 and 14-2 in CC play in those two seasons.
One of only two coaches since the men's lacrosse program's inception in 2001, Steele led the Bears to their only NCAA Tournament victory in school history, an 8-7 thriller at Cabrini in 2015. He was named the CC's Coach of the Year following that historic campaign.
Steele had a track record of attracting high-level talent to Collegeville. Seven of his players earned All-America honors from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), and Steele recruited and developed three Centennial Conference players of the year and a CC rookie of the year. The Bears produced the league's defensive player of the year in consecutive seasons, with Ryan Ridinger claiming the honor in 2015 and Brian Neff doing so in 2016.
"We are extremely grateful to Jamie for his distinguished service to Ursinus," said director of athletics Laura Moliken. "He led our men's lacrosse program to new heights, made it a player on the national stage, and left a remarkable legacy for his successors to follow. We wish him all the best as he moves on."
Before taking the job at Ursinus, Steele was an offensive coordinator at Haverford and spent six seasons as head coach at Widener, where he was the school's all-time wins leader. Steele, who guided the Pride to a 65-31 mark and four NCAA Tournament berths (including the program's first postseason victory), was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003.
A nationwide search for a new men's lacrosse coach will commence immediately.