DELHI, N.Y. (September 2, 2020) - Our coaches have been nothing short of extraordinary during this adverse time that all colleges are facing with regards to athletics. While hopes of a championship are far from view, the determination to still provide students a welcoming, active experience this year has not left our coaches' eyes. SUNY Delhi Athletics celebrates our coaches where we'll learn about our talented staff in three phases: before, during, and after SUNY Delhi.
Men's lacrosse head coach Sam Miller had his fourth season leading the Broncos' sadly cut short this past spring. The Broncos looked to build off their successful 2019 season that produced 11 wins and a berth in the conference tournament in their first year in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC). But overcoming tough obstacles is a trademark of SUNY Delhi men's lacrosse, and Coach Miller's men will return to work on the other side of these adverse times. Miller guided the program through its brief stay in the NAIA and its current home in NCAA Division III, logging one All-American and 14 all-conference selections through those first three seasons. The Broncos have been just as productive off the turf, taking part in goodwill events such as the HEADstrong Foundation's Lax Stache Madness, holding their annual alumni game each fall, and giving back to the game with visits to the Onondaga Reservation. And of course, the embodiment of the program of the pregame prayer and remembering the legacy of alumnus Jamie Burroughs remains strong.
BEFORE... I did not know much about SUNY Delhi or its lacrosse team prior to my start. I became the head coach in January of 2017 and learned quickly about the traditions and history of our program. When I first arrived the captains first question wasn't about offense, or defense, or gear. It was about keeping certain traditions alive. They wanted to say the prayer before each game - and they wanted to carry Jamie's stick everywhere we went. Two things that we still do today and will do as long as I am here!
DURING... I was hired in January 2017, when we had just joined the NAIA. The closest NAIA lacrosse team to us was in Ohio. We had a very light roster and we went on two huge road trips to get our season in. The first was a ten-day trip down south where we played four games across Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Later that season we played in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. We ended up 7-5 and had three all-conference players as well as an All-American defender. We also competed in the NAIA in 2018 but our schedule was loaded with NCAA D3 opponents to prepare us for our shift to NCAA full time. In 2019 we played our first full NCAA season and ended up making the NAC/NECC conference tournament and having eight all conference players, the most of any NAC team that season. Our 2020 season was cut short - but we look forward to this spring!
AFTER... There is only one goal: raise a NAC conference banner in the gym.
