SBU to hire Spallina from Adelphi
Then-Adelphi women's lacrosse head coach Joe Spallina holds up the national Trophy and three fingers for winning three in a row as his team defeated Limestone 17-4. (May 22, 2011) Credit: Joe Rogate
Stony Brook University Wednesday will name Adelphi's Joe Spallina as its new women's lacrosse coach, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday. Spallina recently led Adelphi to its third straight NCAA title in Division II.
Spallina will leave his job as a physical education instructor in the Rocky Point school district to become a full-time member of the university's athletic department. Terms of his contract were not disclosed. Adelphi athletic director Robert Hartwell said Stony Brook's hiring of Spallina "proves that Division II is able to attract people that can coach at the highest level."
At Adelphi, the 38-year-old Spallina compiled a four-year record of 73-2, losing only to C.W. Post.
Adelphi became the only women's lacrosse team in D-II to win three consecutive titles. Adelphi's 17-4 victory over Limestone last month on the Garden City campus was the largest margin of victory in a championship game in the division.
Spallina won two Northeast-10 coach of the year awards and was named coach of the year by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Spallina graduated from Adelphi, where he played lacrosse, in 1996. Before coaching at Adelphi, Spallina led the girls lacrosse team at Rocky Point High School to five Suffolk titles in 10 seasons.
Spallina replaces Allison Comito, who resigned with a six-year record of 42-54.
