Gettysburg has hired one of the top assistants in Division I men's lacrosse to return to his Division III origins and take the reins from a legend.
The school announced Friday that it has tabbed long-time Penn State associate head coach Peter Toner as just its fourth head coach since 1969. He follows in the footsteps of lacrosse coaching legend Hank Janczyk, who guided Gettysburg for 34 years before retiring this past May with the second-most wins in NCAA lacrosse history.
“Peter emerged from a very competitive pool of candidates, and I am excited to welcome him and his family to Gettysburg College,” Gettysburg athletic director Mike Mattia said. “His coaching experience and background have prepared him well to build upon the great history and tradition of the men's lacrosse program. He has passion for the game, a hardworking competitive spirit, and an understanding of the importance of building lifetime relationships with the players, parents, alumni, and campus community. I look forward to the successful future of Gettysburg men's lacrosse under Peter's direction.”
“First off, I would like to thank Mike Mattia, the search committee and the Gettysburg administration for this amazing opportunity to lead the men's lacrosse program,” Toner said. “It's a dream come true to work at such a prestigious institution with such an incredible tradition of success both academically and athletically. I can't wait to begin to build relationships with the players, administration, colleagues, alumni and the Gettysburg community as my family and I settle in.”
A graduate of Springfield College and former head coach at Wheaton College, Toner returns to his Division III roots after spending the last 11 years at Penn State, including the last eight as associate head coach. Toner served as the recruiting coordinator and guided the team's defensive effort, both of which contributed to unprecedented success for the Nittany Lions. In 2019, Penn State set a school record for wins (16), captured the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles for the first time, posted its first-ever victory over the University of Maryland, and advanced to the NCAA semifinals. For his efforts, Toner was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA).
“Coaching alongside Peter Toner of the past 11 years has been an honor,” said Penn State head coach Jeff Tambroni. “He will be missed at Penn State, but we are excited to see him shine at Gettysburg. His leadership, character, work ethic, and family-first values will be incredible assets to an already tradition rich program. The Gettysburg community is lucky to have the Toner family.”
Toner arrived at Penn State alongside Tambroni in 2011 and the duo quickly established the Nittany Lions as a major player in Division I lacrosse. Penn State won at least a dozen games three times and finished either first or second in the conference standings on four occasions. Toner helped Penn State reach the NCAA playoffs in 2013, 2017, and 2019. In his 11 years in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions posted a record of 93-61.
“I want to thank all of the folks at Penn State for their endless support of me, my wife Mary, and our three sons,” Toner said. “I have learned so much from the coaching staff, the players, the parents, the administration and the alumni on what it truly means to be a part of something special and I will do my very best to bring those lessons with me to Gettysburg. I can't thank Coach Tambroni and his family enough for their friendship and guidance during my time at Penn State both personally and professionally!”
Prior to Penn State, Toner spent three seasons as the associate head coach at Bryant University, where he served as the team's defensive coach and recruiting coordinator. Bryant reached the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2008 and Toner helped guide the Bulldogs through their transition to Division I competition. Bryant compiled a 22-10 record in its first two years competing at the nation's top division.
Toner's selection as Gettysburg's head coach marks his return to the Division III ranks after 14 years. His last Division III coaching job came as the head coach at Wheaton College for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. In his first year he led Wheaton to a 10-6 record and an appearance in the ECAC Division II Championship game.
As a player at Springfield, Toner contributed to three NCAA playoff appearances and served as team captain twice. He garnered All-New England accolades and was tabbed an All-American by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). After graduating with a degree in sports management, Toner served as a graduate assistant on the Springfield lacrosse staff while earning his master's in physical education.
The next step in Toner's coaching journey brings him to Gettysburg, which features one of the most successful Division III lacrosse programs in history. Since its varsity season in 1958, Gettysburg men's lacrosse has posted 559 victories and won 67 percent of its contests. The program hasn't had a losing season since the late 1980s and has racked up 26 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, three national runner-up showings, 11 trips to the national semifinals, and 21 conference championships. For Toner, maintaining and building on that strong tradition is priority number one.
“The vision set forth by Mike Mattia and the rest of the administration is to partner with a coach that wants to continue the tradition of one of the most successful programs in the history of Division III lacrosse,” said the new coach. “The ability to coach and recruit great young men of character that will have the balance of incredible academics, athletics and community involvement, with the support of the administration certainly made this opportunity extremely exciting to me.
“The goal for this program is to be the 'Gold Standard' on the Gettysburg campus academically, athletically and socially,” he continued. “Gettysburg lacrosse has proven it can compete at the highest level for decades prior to my arrival and the expectation is that we will continue that success into the future that so many great players and coaches have achieved!”
Toner has the unenviable task of following one of the all-time great coaches in the sport of lacrosse. Over his 34 years with the Bullets, Janczyk racked up 432 victories and 19 total conference titles. His student-athletes thrived under his tutelage with 160 All-America citations and seven national players of the year. Janczyk wrapped up his 39-year coaching career with the second-most wins in history (477).
“It's an honor and very humbling to follow one of the game's very best of all time,” Toner said. “I know how much his players loved him and how highly they regard him as a mentor and I can only hope to have a small sliver of the impact that he has had on Gettysburg College, the community and its lacrosse program. I am thrilled to spend more time with coach Janczyk, keep him involved as much as he is willing, and learn from him as I embark on this new journey.”