Athletics at Salve Regina University

Coach Patrick Cooney - Men's Lacrosse

Patrick Cooney became the first full-time men's lacrosse coach at Salve Regina University in 2003.

He came to the school with a history of helping young collegiate lacrosse programs build a strong foundation, a trend that has continued during his time in historic Newport, R.I. Over the last two seasons, the Seahawks have won 18 games. Salve Regina won just 19 games over its previous nine years (1997-2005).

Since arriving at Salve Regina, Cooney has worked tirelessly to recruit outstanding student-athletes. These young men have spearheaded the Seahawks recent success in all areas at the school.

"The success of any collegiate team is dependent upon the responsible pursuit of excellence both on and off the field," Cooney said.

In 2007, the men's lacrosse squad was honored by the school for having the most-improved cumulative grade-point average of any of Salve Regina's 18 varsity teams. The team also placed five individuals on The Commonwealth Coast Conference 2007 All-Conference Team, including senior captain Ben Kelley, who was named the league's Senior Scholar Athlete.

As a coach, Cooney incorporates an aggressive, up-tempo style of play with the Seahawks. By bringing in student-athletes of superior character, he is able to foster the creativity and growth of each individual through athletics.

With the continued success of the program, Cooney has improved the talent level and depth of Salve Regina's roster. The Seahawk roster has grown to more than 30 players, which had led to the scheduling of stronger opponents. In addition to playing league games against the likes of nationally-ranked Endicott College and the addition of Western New England College to the CCC in 2008, Salve Regina consistently schedules non-league games against top programs throughout the region.

Before coming to Salve Regina, Cooney gained notice in 1996, when he became the youngest head coach in the country (23), taking over the program at his alma mater, Roger Williams University. He spent five seasons with the Hawks, including four as the head coach. He helped build the foundation of a strong program, posting three straight winning seasons from 1997-99 before joining the coaching staff at Elmira College in 2000.

Elmira was 12-7 in Cooney's season with the team. Cooney served as assistant coach and admissions counselor, and the team won a share of the Empire 8 Conference title that year. He then joined the coaching staff at Bryant College from 2001-03, during which time the team was 32-15, including an ECAC Division II Championship in 2002. Cooney helped both colleges achieve their highest-ever national ranking in their respective divisions.

A native of Long Island, Cooney was a standout player at Chaminade High School. He played at the collegiate level for the U.S. Naval Academy for a year before transferring to Division III Roger Williams University.

Cooney serves on the USILA DIII All-American selection committee. He resides in Portsmouth, R.I., with his wife Tabitha and their two children, Liam and Nora.