E-mail this pageMeet the Men's Lacrosse Staff
P.J. Kavanagh, Head Coach
P.J. Kavanagh was promoted to his current post on May 30, 2006. He originally joined the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse coaching staff as defensive coordinator, serving in that capacity the previous two seasons.
"I look forward to working with P.J. We both feel that men's lacrosse has a firm foundation in place to succeed at Plattsburgh State," Bruce Delventhal, director of athletics, said at the time of his hiring.
"I'm really excited to build on what (former head coach) Scott (DeMonte) has established. He set the tone for a competitive, successful program. I'm honored to be taking over the reins from a guy like Scott," Kavanagh added. "We have terrific recruiting class coming in with several all-conference players. And with the talent level returning, that mix of players will help us to play an up-tempo, dynamic game."
Kavanagh helped goalkeeper Billy Hughes rank second in the State University of New York Athletic 
Conference with 10.46 saves per game in 2006. Under Kavanagh's tutelage, Hughes also became the Cardinals' all-time saves leader with 285 after only two years.
With a wealth of coaching experience, Kavanagh came to Plattsburgh after coaching 10 years at New England prep schools, Bridgeport Barrage of professional Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and Henninger High School, his prep alma mater, in Syracuse, N.Y. He has mentored several college and high school All-Americans.
A 1993 graduate of Colgate University, Kavanagh played four seasons for the NCAA Division I Red Raiders. He was the starting goalie for two years before moving to the long stick defensive midfield position for his final season. He was a team captain and the most improved player as a senior. He majored in geology and minored in geography.
He lives in Peru, N.Y., with his wife Elizabeth and one-year-old son Sean.
Q&A With Coach Kavanagh
Q - What is your vision for the program?
A - I want to bring the Plattsburgh State lacrosse program to a level that we have a viable opportunity at the beginning of each season to contend for a national championship. In my two years here at the College, seven other Cardinal teams have had that opportunity by qualifying for the NCAA tournament in their sport. I don't see why we can't be included in that group. There is support here for successful athletics, and I intend for the men's lacrosse team here to enjoy that success. This starts with qualifying for and winning the SUNYAC Tournament, which is my immediate goal.
Q - What kind of play can we expect to see this season?
A - I love to let our guys play. From its origins, lacrosse has been a game that has been played up and down the field at a fast pace. Today's game can be much slower and more deliberate due to the specialization of the players. Although there is definitely a need for specialists (face-off players and long-stick middies, for example), I find that the guys have more fun pushing tempo. Look at the Phoenix Suns of the NBA -- who wouldn't want to play like that? And, Virginia pushed tempo all last season and that style of play brought them the NCAA Division I Lacrosse Championship. We are going to try to push tempo in 2007. We will be a high-scoring, dynamic and entertaining team. That's part of the reason we are so interested in recruiting athletic players.
Q - What do you look for in a lacrosse recruit?
A - It seems like there are two kinds of high school lacrosse player -- the single sport, lacrosse-concentrating guy and the multi-sport athlete. While we are definitely interested in players who concentrate solely on lacrosse and excel in the sport, I am particularly interested in attracting the multi-sport athlete to campus. The high school senior who not only excels at lacrosse, but is a good football or soccer player, for example, is a guy who I know loves to compete. And he is probably one of the better athletes on his team.
Q - How do you support academics?
A - The academic profile of a student-athlete is generally better than that of a non-athlete here at Plattsburgh State, and the men's lacrosse team has enjoyed success in this area. For example, in the 2006 fall semester the lacrosse team earned a collective 2.78 GPA which ranked first among men's teams here on campus. We are doing well, but we can always do better. Veteran players with a cumulative GPA below 2.5 and all first-year players meet with me on a weekly basis to discuss their academics. In addition, these players ask their professors to complete progress reports on a bi-weekly basis. By keeping track of the academic progress of the guys, we can address any problems as they arise. As a former high school teacher, I am well aware of the importance of education and I try to impress this on the players as often as possible.
Contact Information
For more information about Men's Lacrosse at Plattsburgh State, please contact:
Head Coach
P.J. Kavanagh (Colgate, 1993), 1st season
Office: 215 Memorial Hall
Phone: (518) 564-3139
E-mail: kavanapk@plattsburgh.edu
Assistant
Kenny Pierson (Plattsburgh State, 2005)
Phone: (518) 564-3139
E-mail: piersok@plattsburgh.edu
Student Assistant
Matt Cukro