Navy Announces Hiring of Dave Cottle as Offensive Coordinator

Navy head coach Joe Amplo announced Thursday that Dave Cottle will be his offensive coordinator for the 2024 season, about a week after reports surfaced that Cottle would come out of retirement to join the Mids.

Cottle’s accolades speak for themselves. In 28 seasons as the head coach at Maryland and Loyola, Cottle compiled a 280-115 record with 22 NCAA tournament appearances and a winning record in 27 seasons. He ranks 13th in Division I men’s lacrosse history in total wins.

Cottle then took his craft to the professional ranks, where he was a part of four Major League Lacrosse championships with the Chesapeake Bayhawks as a head coach, president and general manager.

Continue below for the full release from the school.

PRESS RELEASE

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Navy men’s lacrosse head coach Joe Amplo announced on Thursday that Dave Cottle will serve as the Mids’ offensive coordinator for the 2024 season. Cottle compiled an overall record of 280-115 (.709) in his 28 seasons as a head coach at Maryland and Loyola (Md.), led the two programs to a combined 22 NCAA Tournament appearances and finished with a winning record in 27 of his 28 seasons. He owns the 13th-most victories among Div. I head coaches all-time, while his winning percentage is the 18th best.

“As far back as my playing days, Dave Cottle has always been respected in our sport,” said Amplo. “As I got older, he has been there for me at different points in my career. He was influential in helping me get my first head coaching job at Marquette and has been a valuable mentor to me since then. With an opening on my staff at an inconvenient time, he called me to be that mentor. What I learned quickly was that he was very interested in the job. To me, that was the most important thing. Sure, we get a hall of fame coach with experience, credibility and knowledge. But most of all, we get someone who wants to be here. A coach who has studied our program and believes in our players. Above all, we get a legend who has something to prove. This is a great day for Navy Lacrosse and I could not be more humbled and grateful that Dave is joining our staff.” 

“This is an unbelievable opportunity to work with Joe Amplo, his staff and the Navy players, and one that I felt I would regret had I not taken,” said Cottle. “Having lived in Annapolis and worked with the Chesapeake Bayhawks for a number of years, there’s some familiarity and a sense of comfort and pride within the community. I’m a big fan of and have great respect for the Naval Academy and its men’s lacrosse program which has a long and storied history. The opportunity to work with players who demonstrate such high core values and commitment is something I am looking forward to.” 

The winningest men’s lacrosse coach in Loyola (Md.) history, Cottle amassed a 181-70 (.721) record from 1983-2001. He helped lead Loyola through its transition to NCAA Division I and guided the Greyhounds to 18-consecutive winning seasons (1984-2001) and 14-straight NCAA Tournament berths (1988-2001). In each of those 14 seasons, Loyola finished the year ranked among the nation’s top ten. 

After leading Loyola to its first Div. I NCAA Tournament berth in 1988, he was named the Morris Touchstone Memorial Award winner which is presented by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) to the nation’s most outstanding Div. I lacrosse head coach. In addition to the recognition, he became the first coach in Loyola athletic history to receive a national award. A year later, Cottle’s squad became the only Loyola men’ lacrosse team to complete an undefeated regular season. The Greyhounds defeated four nationally-ranked teams en route to a 10-0 mark. In 1990, he led the Greyhounds to their first appearance in the NCAA Semifinals and NCAA Championship Game. The 1998 season saw Loyola finish with a 13-2 record, reach a No. 1 national ranking and earn the school’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Cottle is one of just two coaches in the program’s history with more than 100 wins or a .650-plus winning percentage (Charley Toomey / 177-93, .656).

Cottle left Loyola (Md.) in the fall of 2001 to become the head coach at Maryland where he was twice named ACC Coach of the Year and put together a 99-45 (.688) record from 2002-10. The Terrapins finished each of his nine seasons with a winning percentage of .625 or better, while Cottle led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament in eight of his nine years (2003-10), including semifinals appearances in 2003, ‘05 and ‘06. Maryland won at least a share of three Atlantic Coach Conference regular-season titles (2003, ‘04, ‘09) and back-to-back ACC Tournament crowns in 2004 and ‘05. During his tenure, 26 different Terps earned a total of 45 All-America citations.

Following his departure from Maryland, Cottle became a consultant for Major League Lacrosse’s Chesapeake Bayhawks and then was hired as president and head coach of the organization in 2012. After winning back-to-back MLL titles in 2012 and ‘13, Cottle transitioned in a general manager role from 2014 through ‘17. He returned to his coaching role for a final time in 2018 and directed the Bayhawks to their sixth MLL crown.

In 2010, Cottle was retained by Marquette to serve as a lacrosse consultant when the school announced its intentions of adding men’s and women’s lacrosse.

A widely respected leader within the lacrosse community, Cottle formerly served on the NCAA Div. I men’s lacrosse committee and also sat on the board of directors of the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA). In 1998, Cottle was inducted into the Greater Baltimore Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame and in 2017, he was inducted into the IMLCA Hall of Fame.

A 1978 graduate of Salisbury State University, Cottle was enshrined into the institution’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. He set numerous school and NCAA records and went on to become a three-time All-American. As a freshman in 1975, he led the nation in scoring and became the second player in collegiate history to surpass 100 points in a season. He still ranks among the Seagulls’ top 10 in goals (179), assists (123) and points (302). Additionally, he is among just five players in school history to rank among the top 10 in all three categories.