BOSTON, MA - The Boston Cannons announced Tuesday that it has hired Hall of Fame coach Dom Starsia as its new Associate Head Coach.  As part of his new position with the Cannons, Starsia will work side-by-side with Head Coach Sean Quirk and the Cannons coaching staff in all facets related to the team's on-field performance and development.Starsia retired from college coaching in 2016 as the winningest collegiate coach in Division I lacrosse history.

Starsia, whose legendary coaching resume includes 375 victories, four NCAA Championships and a selection to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, will join Coach Quirk and the Cannons coaching staff as an advisor this offseason. He will begin preparations for the 2018 MLL season immediately.

In joining the Cannons, Starsia is returning to his extensive Boston and New England roots. In 1981, Starsia was inducted into the Brown University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1996, he was inducted into the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame in Newton, Massachusetts. In 2000, he was named to the Brown University's "Team of the Millennium", and was chosen one of Brown's "Top 100 Athletes of the Twentieth Century." Starsia was also inducted in to the inaugural class of the Rhode Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2016.

"The entire Cannons organization from the coaches and players to the front office are beyond ecstatic about bringing such a legendary coach into our locker room," said Cannons President Ian Frenette. "Dom's coaching history coupled with his New England roots made for a perfect fit. Coach Starsia will bring an abundance of knowledge and experience to our team while instituting a championship mindset across the board."

Starsia earned his Hall of Fame credentials while building the University of Virginia into a national powerhouse. He joined the Cavaliers in 1993, serving as their Head Coach until 2016. In his time at UVA he won four NCAA National Championships (1999, 2003, 2006, 2011). Following Virginia's 2011 national championship season, Starsia was also nominated for an ESPY Award for Best Coach/Manager. Before joining UVA, he served as the Head Coach of Brown University for ten years where he was awarded the D. Morris Touchstone Award for being the NCAA DI Coach of the year.

"I am very excited to be joining the Boston Cannons organization in preparation for the 2018 season," Starsia said. "A number of our former UVA players are Cannon alums and I have been a big fan for a long time.  My role will be to work closely with Sean in every way possible.  I want to thank Rob Hale, Sean and Ian for this opportunity, I am anxious to get started."

At UVA, his 2006 team finished with a perfect 17-0 record, a first in NCAA history. During Starsia's tenure at Virginia, the Cavaliers won the ACC Championships in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2010. His team's have produced 117 All-Americans including 28 First-Team All-Americans, 68 All-ACC selections, eight ACC Rookies of the Year, six ACC Players of the Year, five NCAA Championship MVPs, and 36 All-NCAA Tournament selections.

No stranger to the player side of the game, Starsia earned Third Team All-American honors in 1973 and 1974, as well as First Team All-Ivy and All-New England honors while a captain of the Brown University men's lacrosse team. He also played for the U.S. National Team in the 1978 World Lacrosse Championship.

"We are beyond excited to bring Dom Starsia on board to the Boston Cannons and our coaching staff," said Cannons Head Coach Sean Quirk. "Coach Starsia is one of the all-time great lacrosse coaches in the game. He is both a coach of character and determination that he equally instills and expects from his players. Dom cares very deeply about the development of his athletes both on and off the field."

Coach Quirk continued, "The Cannons have a strong and deep tradition in Major League Lacrosse and the addition on Coach Starsia to the Cannons' family will only strengthen and continue to propel our Championship quest in 2018. In a way, it is a homecoming for Coach Starsia and we are enthusiastic to get our staff working together." 

Starsia will bring an abundance of knowledge and vision to the Cannons in an effort to continue developing players both on and off the field. The Cannons will look to get back on track in 2018 by putting forth a strong roster and coaching staff as they work towards bringing another Championship back to Boston. 

The Cannons have been proactive this offseason already, securing top players such as Mitch Belisle, Davey Emala, Joe Nardella, Justin Turri and Tyler Fiorito for the 2018 season. The Cannons also added two-time MLL All-Star Kyle Denhoff from player movement. The Cannons will continue to be active in reinforcing an already strong roster with the number one pick in the Supplemental Draft in December as well as the first overall pick in the 2018 MLL Collegiate Draft.