Name: Dom Starsia Position: Head Coach

Entering his sixth season as Virginia's head lacrosse coach, Dom Starsia has brought sparkling new life to the world of Virginia, Southern and National lacrosse. In so doing, he has enhanced both his reputation and that of UVa lacrosse.

Under Starsia's leadership, the Cavaliers have participated in the NCAA Tournament each of the last five seasons, reaching the finals in 1994 and 1996, the semifinals in 1995 and the quarterfinals in 1993 and 1997. Virginia made three consecutive Final Four appearances from 1994-96.

Starsia has compiled a five-year record of 58-19 at UVa (.753 winning percentage). He was named ACC co-Coach of the Year in 1995 and Coach of the Year in 1997.

Starsia led the 1997 Cavaliers to their first-ever ACC Tournament championship and third regular season conference title since 1986. Virginia led the nation in scoring for the second consecutive season in 1997 while finishing 11-3 overall (3-0 ACC). Among UVa's victories last season was a convincing 12-6 win over Duke in the ACC championship game. After receiving a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers were eliminated from the hunt for a national championship with a 10-9 quarterfinal loss at Maryland.

Virginia led the nation with a school-record 451 points in 1996 en route to a 12-4 finish (1-2 ACC). UVa claimed NCAA Tournament wins over Harvard and Johns Hopkins before losing to Princeton in the finals in a 13-12 overtime thriller.

UVa posted a 12-3 record in 1995 and captured the regular season conference title (3-0). Virginia ended the 1995 campaign with an NCAA semifinal loss to Syracuse.

The 1994 Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA finals for the first time since 1986 while posting a school-record 13 wins (13-4 overall, 2-1 ACC regular season title). UVa suffered a 9-8 overtime loss to Princeton in the 1994 NCAA championship game following a 15-14 overtime victory over Syracuse in the semifinals.

Starsia's first Virginia team posted a 10-5 record and won the 1993 ACC regular season championship (3-0). The Cavaliers topped Notre Dame in the NCAA first round 19-9 that season before losing to Johns Hopkins 14-10 in the quarterfinals.

A native of Valley Stream, N.Y., Starsia moved to UVa from Providence, R.I., and Brown University--where he had been playing and coaching since his graduation from Valley Stream High School in 1970. During his long and successful stay at Brown, Starsia distinguished himself as an outstanding coach and athlete.

Starsia became head lacrosse coach at Brown in 1982 and amassed a 10-year record of 101-46, solidifying his reputation as one of the top young college coaches in the game. His teams boasted the best Ivy League record and the best overall record for any Ivy League school over that 10-year span.

Starsia took the Bears to the NCAA playoffs in five of his last six years at Brown, including the last three in a row. Brown won two Ivy League titles under Starsia (1985 and 1991) and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Starsia led Brown to its finest season ever in 1991 as the Bears posted the team's first-ever undefeated regular season (13-0), won an Ivy League title and the New England Championship, and finished with a No. 2 national ranking.

Starsia received the Morris Touchstone Award as the Division I Coach of the Year in both 1985 and 1991. He coached in the North-South game in 1990, an 18-16 North win. Starsia also played on the U.S. National Team in 1978.

An important aspect of Starsia's coaching success is his ability to recruit and cultivate talented players. Virginia placed seven Cavaliers on various All-America teams in 1996 and 1997 (including three first-team choices both years). Virginia's three first-team choices each of the last two years are the most at UVa since 1971.

UVa's trio of 1997 first-team All-Americans included attackmen Doug Knight and Michael Watson, and midfielder David Curry. Virginia claimed two USILA national award winners in the same season for the first time ever in 1996 as Knight was named Player of the Year and Watson was chosen Attackman of the Year. Knight and Watson joined defenseman Tommy Smith as 1996 first-team All-Americans.

During Starsia's Cavalier coaching tenure, Virginia has produced 31 All-Americans (six first-team, seven second-team, seven third-team and 11 honorable mention choices), 18 All-ACC selections, and three ACC Rookies of the Year. In addition, four Cavaliers made the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team in 1994 and again in 1996.

While at Brown, Starsia developed five first-team All Americans, 20 Ivy League first-team players, four Ivy League Players of the Year, and three Ivy League Rookies of the Year.

Starsia is a graduate of Valley Stream High School where he was an outstanding football player. He had never seen a lacrosse game before entering Brown as a student in 1970. Showing natural talent for the game, however, he became one of the best defensemen in Brown history. Starsia was a third-team All-American at Brown in 1973 and 1974 and was first-team All-Ivy and All-New England those same two years. He captained the Bears in 1974 and played in two NCAA playoff games plus the North-South game. Starsia also captained the freshman football team at Brown and played wide receiver on the varsity for two seasons. He was inducted into the Brown University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981 and the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame (Newton, Mass.) in 1996.

Starsia earned his bachelor's degree in American Civilization in 1974. Upon graduation, he joined the Brown athletic staff as a full-time assistant to the legendary men's soccer and lacrosse coach Cliff Stevenson. Starsia also coached the women's soccer team from 1974 to 1976. He succeeded Stevenson as head lacrosse coach in 1982.

In addition to being active on many committees in the lacrosse world, Starsia was a standout club player. He was named Club Defenseman of the Year in 1979 and was a club All-American in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980.

Starsia is the ninth coach at UVa since Virginia joined the USILA in 1948. He succeeded Jim Adams who retired having won more college games than any other then-active coach.

Starsia's Biography-at-a-Glance
BORN:             April 21, 1952, in New York City.
                  He is married to Kristin Lasagna of Baltimore, Md. The
FAMILY:           Couple has four children: Molly 14, Joseph 12, and twins
                  Maggie and Emma 10. They currently reside in Ivy, Va.
SECONDARY SCHOOL: Valley Stream H.S., Valley Stream, N.Y.
COLLEGE:          Graduated from Brown University in 1974 with a bachelor's
                  degree in American Civilization.
                  Assistant men's lacrosse and men's soccer coach at Brown
COACHING:         University (1975-82); head women's soccer coach at Brown
BACKGROUND:       (1974-76); named head men's lacrosse coach at Brown in
                  June of 1982. Named head men's lacrosse coach at the
                  University of Virginia in July of 1992. 
 Starsia's record as a collegiate men's lacrosse coach:
Year            School      Record
 1983               Brown         9-5
 1984               Brown         9-5
 1985               Brown         12-3 (Ivy League Champions, NCAA
                                  Tournament)
 1986               Brown         8-6
 1987               Brown         10-5 (NCAA Tournament)
 1988               Brown         8-6
 1989               Brown         9-6
 1990               Brown         11-5 (NCAA Quarterfinals)
 1991               Brown         13-1 (Ivy League Champions, NCAA
                                  Quarterfinals)
 1992               Brown         12-4 (NCAA Quarterfinals)
 1993               Virginia      10-5 (NCAA Quarterfinals)
 1994               Virginia      13-4 (NCAA Finals)
 1995               Virginia      12-3 (NCAA Semifinals)
 1996               Virginia      12-4 (NCAA Finals)
 1997               Virginia      11-3 (ACC Champions, NCAA Quarterfinals)
Career Record:     159-65 (.710), 15 seasons; 10 NCAA Tournament 

Record at Brown:   101-46 (.687) 10 seasons; six NCAA Tournament
                                  appearances
Record at Virginia: 58-19 (.753), 5 seasons, 5 NCAA Tournament appearances