Jim Morrissey, the 2018 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, concluded his seventh year at the helm of The College of Saint Rose men’s lacrosse program in 2021. Morrissey, who was named the head coach in September of 2014, brings a wealth of experience from the collegiate, high school and club levels.
He previously served as the head coach at College of the Holy Cross and worked as an assistant at Hobart, Cornell and his alma mater Syracuse, which won the 2000 NCAA National Championship and was runner-up the previous year.
“Jim Morrissey brings a focus and work ethic to our program that should inspire each team member to excel in the classroom and on the playing field through commitment, hard work and dedication to self and others. We are excited about the short and long-term successes that are sure to follow,” said Cathy Haker, Director of Athletics and Recreation, at the time of his appointment.
Morrissey guided Saint Rose to its best season (9-8) in a ten-year existence to earn NE10 Coach of the Year honors. The Golden Knights went 7-4 in league play to earn the fourth seed and corresponding first round home game in the Conference Championship Tournament. Saint Rose, which fell to No. 17 Saint Anselm in its initial postseason contest, set a program record with nine victories. Five Golden Knights earned All-NE10 honors, highlighted by senior Liam Guiton being named Goalie of the Year.
He also coached Saint Rose to its second NE10 Championship Tournament appearance in 2021. The Golden Knights fell 11-6 at Franklin Pierce in the first round.
Before coming to Saint Rose, Morrissey spent four years at Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. where he led the Crusaders to seven victories in 2013, the squad’s highest win total in 25 years. He was subsequently named the 2013 Patriot League Coach of the Year, the first Holy Cross men’s lacrosse coach to garner that award. Morrissey furthermore mentored 18 student-athletes that were honored on the 2014 Patriot League All-Academic Team.
From 2006-08, Morrissey was an assistant at Hobart, located in Geneva, N.Y., where he was part of a coaching group that was named the 2008 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Coaching Staff of the Year.
He then took over the head coach position at Marcellus (N.Y.) High School from 2009-10. At Marcellus, Morrissey was named the 2009 Onondaga High School League (OHSL) Division II Coach of the Year after guiding the school to its first sectional lacrosse championship in 10 years. He was also selected as coach of both the 2009 and 2010 section III Senior All-Star Games, and was a member of the coaching staff for the silver medal Central Region club at the 2010 Empire State Games.
In 2008, he founded and served as the head coach of the Fingers Lake Lacrosse Club in Syracuse, a travel program in the Finger Lakes Region that served nearly 150 players from 40 high schools.
Morrissey earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Syracuse in 1996. A two-time All-American, he was a member of the 1993 and 1995 National Championship teams, served as a team captain, and played in the 1996 North-South Game.
Morrissey totaled 176 points on 106 goals and 70 assists during his collegiate career, ranking second on the team in scoring as a senior (63 points) and third as a junior (56 points). Following his time at Syracuse, Morrissey played professionally for the Syracuse Smash of the National Lacrosse League (1997-99) and the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse (2001-03).
