UNIVERISTY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s lacrosse program opens their 112th season as a program on Saturday, February 1 against Colgate. Through those 112 years, the Nittany Lions have generated 578 wins, 158 USILA All-Americans and seven NCAA tournament appearances. Penn State has also captured two Big Ten Regular Season titles and one Big Ten Tournament championship since the formation of the Big 10 lacrosse conference in 2015.
The Penn State men’s lacrosse program began in 1913 under the command of head coach Walter Farley. On May 24th of that year, the Nittany Lions earned the program’s first victory against the University of Pennsylvania. The program would continue to grow over the next several decades before rising to national prominence in the 1980’s under head coach Glenn Thiel.
Thiel took the reins of Penn State men’s lacrosse in 1978 and led the program for 33 seasons before retiring at the conclusion of the 2010 season. In 1987, he coached the Nittany Lions to the first 10-win season in program history, finishing with a 10-5 record on the year. Two years later, Penn State finished the 1989 season with another 10-5 record and ranked 16th in the USILA Coaches poll, which marked the first time the program had ever finished a season ranked inside the top 20. Penn State men’s lacrosse would go on to finish with a top 20 ranking every year from 1989-1996 and 13 times total throughout Thiel’s tenure. Coach Thiel’s career at Penn State would culminate with the program’s first NCAA tournament appearances in 2003 and 2005.
Following the final season of the Glenn Thiel era in 2010, current head coach Jeff Tambroni arrived in State College, poised to continue building the leadership and legacy of Penn State men’s lacrosse. Heading into his 15th season in 2025, Tambroni views the opportunity to lead Team 112 as a great privilege. “It’s truly an honor to represent Penn State lacrosse” said Tambroni. “Our program takes immense pride in the legacy built by the coaches and players who came before us. The foundation they established is something we deeply value and continue to build upon.”
Throughout the history of the program, there have been thousands of letter winners in the Penn State lacrosse family. This strong base of former players continues to be an avid group of supporters for Penn State lacrosse, both on and off the field. “We’re fortunate to have such a passionate and supportive alumni network that continuously inspires us” Tambroni added. “Coaching Team 112, and every Penn State lacrosse team over the past 15 years, is equal parts building for the future and honoring the traditions, pride, and history that make Penn State lacrosse so special.”
Tambroni led Penn State to the first Big 10 Championship and NCAA Final Four in 2019 after posting a 16-2 record. The Nittany Lions would return to the Final Four again in 2023 after capturing another Big 10 Championship. For him, what drives the success of the program over the past several years has been continuing to build a strong culture. “Since day one, we’ve been driven by the mission to build and sustain a championship culture, both on and off the field” stated Tambroni.
“A constant throughout these 15 years has been our commitment to learning from the coaches and players who shaped the program before us. We’ve worked hard to maintain a culture that not only welcomes alumni, family, and friends back to campus, but also actively seeks to learn from their experiences. The pride and investment our alumni have in the program remains an inspiration for us to stay connected and build for those who came before us."