After a year that tested both the physical virtuosity and emotional solidarity of the UVA lacrosse program, men’s coach Dom Starsia was named NCAA Men’s Coach of the Year by FieldTurf, a sports surface manufacturer. Starsia last received the award in 2008.
The award arrives one week after UVA released its lacrosse schedules for 2011. While the team posted a 16-2 overall record during the last season, its most challenging moment arguably occurred off the field, when fourth-year student-athlete George Huguely was arrested and charged with the murder of Yeardley Love, a fellow lacrosse player and Huguely’s ex-girlfriend. Huguely’s defense attorneys were recently denied access to Love’s UVA medical history, which they sought in connection to an Adderall prescription to support a competing cause of death.
Starsia was scrutinized following Huguely’s arrest and news of a prior altercation between Huguely and a teammate, after media questioned Starsia’s knowledge of the situation. However, UVA ultimately stated the players involved did not disclose "the underlying facts or gravity of what had actually occurred" to Starsia, and declined his assistance in resolving the matter. News of the reported assault surfaced on the day that Starsia’s 86-year-old father died.
Starsia is currently 11 wins short of the all-time NCAA Division I record. The 2011 season will be Starsia’s 19th with UVA, and puts the record within reach.