Buzzards Bay, Mass. --  Rory Deegan, who has served for the past two seasons as Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Massachusetts Maritime, has been named as the Academy’s Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach.  Deegan’s appointment, effective immediately, was made by Bob Corradi, Massachusetts Maritime’s Director of Athletics.

A native of Wading River, N.Y., Deegan takes over the Buccaneer reins from Barry Joyce, who resigned from the position after a five-year tenure.  Joyce, a former lacrosse standout at the Academy, helped resurrect the program’s fortunes over that time span, including a nine-win campaign in 2009 that saw Massachusetts Maritime advance to the semi-final round of the ECAC Division III New England Championships.

Deegan, who serves as an Assistant Director in the Academy’s Regiment of Cadets (ComCad), was a standout attack at Division I Manhattan College, where he earned a degree in Psychology in 2000.  He served as Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Alvernia College in Reading, Pa. before coming to Massachusetts Maritime, where in addition to his assistant coaching duties with the men’s program, he also served as the Academy’s Head Club Women’s Lacrosse Coach during the past academic year.

“I’m looking forward to contributing to the growth and development of both the Academy and the program in my new role,” Deegan said of his appointment.  “I would like to thank Admiral (Rick) Gurnon (Massachusetts Maritime’s President), Coach Corradi and the entire administration for this wonderful opportunity.”

“Coach Deegan has made a great impact on the lives of many cadets and student-athletes in his roles both with ComCad and with our lacrosse programs in a very short time, and I am very pleased to welcome him into his new position as our head men’s lacrosse coach,” Corradi said of Deegan.  “I have great confidence that he will continue to make a positive impact going forward.

“I also want to thank Coach Joyce for all of the hard work, time, effort and energy that he brought to a program that I know he cares about so much,” Corradi continued.  “He helped restore pride into the program that he helped make great as a player, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

Corradi indicated that a search for Deegan’s successor in the fledgling Buccaneer women’s lacrosse program is underway, and he hopes to have the position filled by the end of the summer.