A new era for Delaware men’s lacrosse started Thursday, as the university announced it has hired Ben DeLuca to succeed the retiring legend Bob Shillinglaw as the program’s head coach. Athletic director Chrissi Rawick formally introduced DeLuca at a press conference in Newark, Del.

DeLuca is just the ninth coach in the 67-year history of the sport at Delaware, replacing Shillinglaw, who retired this spring after winning 310 games and leading the Blue Hens to six NCAA tournament appearances and 16 conference titles over a 39-year career.

Shillinglaw attended the press conference Thursday in Newark, Del., where DeLuca said he was excited to lead the “renaissance” of a program he considers to be a “gold mine” in the NCAA lacrosse landscape.

“We want to be great in the sport of lacrosse, but we want to be excellent in the classroom and leaders in the community as well,” DeLuca said.

Ben DeLuca, new @DelawareMLAX coach, excited to lead "renaissance" of program considered "a gold mine" in @NCAA_Lax. #BlueHens @CAASports pic.twitter.com/isNgaWsz2D

— kevintresolini (@kevintresolini) May 25, 2017

DeLuca spent the last two seasons as the top assistant at Harvard after two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Duke. He’s most known for his 18 years at Cornell as a player, assistant coach and then head coach. From 2011-13, he led the Big Red to a 37-11 record and 16-2 Ivy League mark. With Tewaaraton Award winner Rob Pannell leading the way, Cornell advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 2013.

DeLuca was fired the following fall, however, when the university found that seniors on the team had forced freshmen to consume alcohol in a hazing incident. He resurfaced at Duke and was on the coaching staff when the Blue Devils won the 2014 NCAA championship.

DeLuca’s wife, Laurie (Tortorelli), was an All-American goalie at Delaware.

“He brings to us an incredible knowledge of the game of lacrosse and an understanding that the University of Delaware is a very special place,” Rawick said of DeLuca, who is also the assistant general manager of the 2018 U.S. team. “We have such a passionate group of Delaware lacrosse alumni, and I know Ben will build a strong connection with them. There is absolutely no doubt that Ben will make our men's lacrosse program, this department and this university better.”

PHOTO BY KEVIN P. TUCKER

The Blue Hens finished 7-8 this season, highlighted by a March 25 win over Rutgers, then ranked No. 1 in the national media poll. It was Delaware’s first-ever victory over a top-ranked opponent.

DeLuca will inherit a team that returns its top two scorers, Andrew Romagnoli and Charlie Kitchen, as well as second-team All-CAA long-stick midfielder Austin Haynes and CAA All-Rookie goalie Matt DeLuca.