U.S. Men's U20 Coaching and Medical Staff Named

SPARKS, Md. – USA Lacrosse has named the full coaching and medical staffs for the 2025 U.S. Men’s U20 National Team that will represent the United States at the world championship next summer in Seogwipo, South Korea.

Shawn Nadelen, a past world champion as a player and the current head men’s lacrosse coach at Towson University, was named earlier this year as the head coach for the team. His assistant coaches will be Connor Buczek, Anthony Gilardi and Ryan McClay.

The medical staff will feature Jeremy Kent as the team physician, Tim Happel and Ryan Sley as certified athletic trainers and Jay Dyer as the strength and conditioning coach.

Buczek, a gold medalist on the 2012 U.S. U19 team and a longtime training team member with the U.S. senior team, is the head men’s lacrosse coach at Cornell University. A three-time All-American at Cornell, Buczek has been the head coach at his alma mater since 2020 and led the Big Red to the NCAA championship game in 2022 and has gone 34-14 in his first three seasons. Buczek, who also won a bronze medal with the 2019 U.S. box team, was an all-star in both the MLL and PLL.

Gilardi, a former assistant coach under Nadelen at Towson, has spent the past five years as the head coach at Stony Brook University. In 2023, the Seawolves reached the CAA championship game and Stony Brook has gone 35-30 since 2020. A former all-league player and captain at Ohio State, Gilardi has helped Navy, Ohio State and Towson all reach the NCAA tournament as an assistant coach – including Towson reaching the semifinal round in 2017.

McClay is one of the best players in the history of the sport and was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2021. Currently an assistant coach at Fairfield Prep (Conn.), McClay earned all-world honors after helping the U.S. win gold at the 2002 and 2010 world championships and was named the tournament’s outstanding defenseman in 2002. A four-time All-American and two-time captain at Cornell, McClay was a three-time all-star in the MLL. He previously served as the head coach at Mahopac (N.Y.) High School.

Kent is a team physician and family medical doctor at the University of Virginia. He has specific research interests include sport-related concussion and regenerative medicine. Prior to his appointment at Virginia, his alma mater, Kent was an active duty soldier serving as an Army physician.

Happel, a member of the MedStar Sports Medicine staff, has been the head athletic trainer at Howard Community College since 2010. A graduate of Towson University and California University (Pa.), he has previously worked with Real Maryland FC and the Washington Capitals.

Sley is an associate athletic trainer at Johns Hopkins and works with the Blue Jays’ men’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s swimming programs. He has worked at Johns Hopkins since 2012 and previously worked at Delaware State.

Dyer has been a strength and conditioning coach for numerous U.S. teams over the years. He has been the strength and conditioning coach for the Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse team for over two decades. Dyer is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who oversees a year-long training program designed to develop speed, strength, power and coordination. 

The 2025 U.S. Men’s U20 National Team begins its on-field activities with a three-day tryout from June 28-30 at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Md. The team will have additional training camps leading up to the world championship in Korea from July 18-27, 2025.

The U.S. Men’s National Team trains and plays using game-changing, high-performance equipment from Cascade Maverik and Warrior and best-in-class products from Enovis (sports bracing).

In addition to these partners, Gatorade, MedStar Health and Stryker are official sponsors of the U.S. National Team Program. Team training is also aided by products from Athletic Republic.

Funding for the national teams also comes from generous donors to the USA Lacrosse Foundation. Help support the team.

About USA Lacrosse

USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse leads the U.S. National Teams Program and establishes universal standards. With more than 400,000 members across the country, USA Lacrosse unites the community of players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. Working together, we inspire participation, enrich the athlete experience, and support the growth of the sport.