18-Year Veteran Sean Quirk Steps Down as Endicott Men's Lacrosse Coach

Endicott Men's Lacrosse Year-By-Year and Coaching History 

BEVERLY, Mass. – Following a storied 18-year career as the head coach of the Endicott men's lacrosse program that has risen to national prominence, Sean Quirk has elected to step down from his post, effective immediately.

Quirk, after accumulating 243 coaching wins, a .719 winning percentage (.918 in-conference), eight CCC Championships, nine NCAA Division III Tournament appearances including five Second Round berths, and building a foundation for success at the helm of Gulls men's lacrosse will remain in his role as Associate Director of Athletics and continue to make an impact on the vibrant and ever-evolving Endicott College community as a whole.

"It would be too easy to summarize Coach Quirk's success based on his all-time NCAA ranking in wins and win percentage," added Director of Athletics Brian Wylie. "What I will remember most during his time coaching, is the impact in the overall development of countless young men, families, and recruits through the college process. In the 18 years he spent on the sidelines he never made coaching about himself. It was, and is, always about the life lessons he taught every young man and family he encountered."

"Though he is one of our most successful coaches Endicott has ever had, I respect his decision to put coaching lacrosse aside, and am excited that through his expanded role in athletics here, that he will have a much greater opportunity to work with all of our student-athletes in a much broader context."

While Quirk will be leaving the coaching world for the first time since being an assistant at Springfield from 1995-97 following his highly acclaimed four-year career as a goalie for the Pride, his motivation for becoming a coach will be incredibly impactful as he continues his college administrative duties.

"I got into coaching because I have a passion for helping young people," said Quirk. "After coaching for 20 years and mentoring so many talented players, seeing them grow into strong family men, and continuing their support for our program and institution as alumni, I can walk away from coaching treasuring the relationships more than any award or accolade over the years. I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Wylie, Tom Redman, and former Director of Athletics Larry Hiser for giving me a chance as a 23-year-old to continue to build the foundation for the future Endicott men's lacrosse. Now, 18 years later with the support of Director of Athletics Brian Wylie, my family and I have another opportunity to continue my career as an administrator and help this entire community and athletic department take it to the next level."

After taking over the Endicott men's lacrosse program in its third-year of existence as an independent program in the 1997-98 academic year, Quirk went 12-4 in his first campaign and never looked back with 18 consecutive winning seasons, all with at least 10 victories. When the Endicott Athletic Department moved into full-time membership in the CCC for the 1999-00 season, the program's success took off with its first conference title and NCAA postseason appearance in 2001 which started a stretch of dominance through this past spring's eighth CCC Championship and NCAA Second Round game.  

Quirk's on-the-field coaching impact can be seen with the 143 All-CCC, 57 All-Region, and 21 USILA All-American award winners throughout the years. Additionally, 22 individuals earned either major conference and regional awards for player or rookie of the year. Quirk himself was a four-time CCC Coach of the Year (2004, 2006, 2014-15), a one-time NEILA Coach of the Year (2014), and the Field Turf/IMLCA Division III Coach of the Year in 2008. Academically, numerous student-athletes under Quirk's tutelage have earned academic all-conference nods with eight being named USILA Scholar All-America.

"Coach Paul Adams from my Cheshire playing days and Coach (Keith) Bugbee at Springfield have been incredible mentors, father figures, and dear friends to me. I've learned so much about life from them, they helped me get into coaching, and taught me how to build that foundation for success. After winning a national title with Springfield, I knew that was the standard and the bar I wanted to set for Endicott and although we didn't get there we've succeeded in more ways than I can ever be proud of. The next person in line has the chance to begin a new legacy with new traditions and hopefully carry over some of the ones that have helped the program become special and successful with the help of our dedicated alumni."

According to President Wylie, "Coach Quirk brought to this campus the highest ideals of academic integrity, sportsmanship, and love of his students. He is what every College President dreams a coach should be."