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t wasn’t the plan for Bob Shillinglaw to spend nearly four decades at Delaware, where his job is head lacrosse coach and calling is much greater.

It just worked out that way, to the benefit of countless players throughout the First State.

“I said ‘Listen, we’ll be here for three years and I’ll be the next head coach at Johns Hopkins or Maryland or whatever,’” Shillinglaw recalls telling his wife Tina when the newlyweds moved in 1978. “Next thing you know, 39 years later, we’re still here. We raised three daughters, the whole nine yards.”

Shillinglaw is retiring at the season’s end after 39 seasons with the Blue Hens and 42 as a college head coach. It’s easy to count the victories (310 at Delaware, 334 overall) and point to the Blue Hens’ memorable trip to Memorial Day weekend in 2007.

Yet Shillinglaw’s legacy stretches well beyond the campus Newark. “Growing the game” isn’t just a mantra for Shillinglaw. It’s long been a way of life, and few have had a greater impact on expanding lacrosse in a single state.

“Delaware is a small place where everyone knows everyone,” said Lee Powers, president of the U.S. Lacrosse’s Delaware chapter. “Everyone knows Bob.”

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hillinglaw grew up in Severna Park, Md., played four years at North Carolina and coached at Massachusetts Maritime Academy while earning a master’s degree at Boston University. When he came to Delaware, he took over a program not too different from others in that era.

Yes, he was the lacrosse coach. But he wore other hats, including a stint as an assistant professor teaching sports psychology. There were no full-time assistant coaches, and the team would clean the stadium just to earn extra funding. And while he applied for other jobs, something about Delaware tugged at him in the early years.

Lacrosse also didn’t have much of an imprint in the state. There were only two high school teams in Delaware at the time, which effectively meant there was no in-state talent to attract.

So while that was an incentive for Shillinglaw to help found a local chapter of U.S. Lacrosse, it was far from the only one.

“The sport is such a great sport that you just want to spread the word and give people the opportunity to experience what it’s like to play lacrosse,” Shillinglaw said. “Outside of developing and trying to have the best Division I program possible, almost every college coach, high school coach, middle school coach, they want the sport to grow. Growing means opportunities for kids to play.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELAWARE ATHLETICS

It meant tons of clinics. It meant opening up Delaware’s facilities for weekend pickup games. It meant instructing coaches. Eventually in-state talent began trickling in.

Today, there are 48 boys’ lacrosse programs in the state.

All the while, Shillinglaw plugged away at Delaware. In time, he would have a full-time assistant, then another. A who’s who would eventually work for him, including Matt Hogan, Judd Lattimore, Scott Marr, Dave Metzbower, Kevin Warne and others.

There was also the talent required to make six NCAA tournament appearances, including the likes of faceoff ace Alex Smith, 2010 Tewaaraton finalist Curtis Dickson and long-time star John Grant Jr.

“I just remember how much he cared for his players,” Grant said. “There were times for him to put his foot down, and he did that. I owe him a lot. I had an opportunity to play two years of Division I lacrosse, and I grew up a tremendous amount.”

Many of Shillinglaw’s former players, including Grant, gathered for his final home game earlier this month in what doubled as a reunion for the 2007 national semifinalists. It was a reminder of what has bound the Blue Hens’ program together for so long.

“Our alumni group is a special group,” said Shillinglaw, who was presented a framed No. 39 jersey prior to that April 15 game. “They made it fulfilling. Coaching is about people, about relationships and being here to help someone go through the college experience most importantly the future beyond that.”

Added Grant: “Every time you send a kid off a better young man, that’s a win in itself. He crushed it in that regard.”

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owers has known Shillinglaw most of his life. More than 25 years ago, he was a middle-schooler attending Delaware lacrosse camps who was ecstatic when Shillinglaw would make it a point to say hello when he returned to campus.

“I was always struck by that – why would Bob know who I was?” Powers said. “I was a mediocre high school lacrosse player who barely made a college team. When I was back home, I can remember him being kind to me. At camps, he helped register the kids. Who does that? When we have our banquet, he’s the one reserving the venue and checking people in. That’s just Bob. He just rolls up his sleeves and gets to work. That’s an inspiration to me because that’s real leadership.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELAWARE ATHLETICS