Dan Sheehan to Retire as Le Moyne Men’s Lacrosse Coach; Will Move to Advancement and Innovation Leadership Role

Le Moyne Men’s Lacrosse Coach Dan Sheehan, who over the past 29 years brought six national titles to the Heights while amassing the most wins in DII lacrosse history, will retire from the sidelines to become the College’s director of philanthropy for athletics. In this position, Sheehan will lead major fundraising initiatives for alumni, friends and supporters of Dolphin athletics, which moved to DI in 2023. He will begin in his new role on Monday, June 15.

“I take tremendous pride in what the men’s lacrosse program has become today,” said Sheehan. “It has been an incredible honor to represent Le Moyne and I have been fortunate for the opportunity to be part of the lives of so many outstanding student-athletes. Our alumni and supporters are the backbone of Le Moyne and I look forward to working with them to drive the next era of innovation and championship success for all of our students.”

Sheehan leaves behind a remarkable coaching legacy. He is tied for the 11th-most victories and the eighth-best winning percentage (.820) in the history of NCAA men’s lacrosse. In the second year at the DI level, in 2025 Sheehan guided the Dolphins to a Northeast Conference regular-season championship. His coaching success has earned him numerous honors, including the 2000 USILA Division II Coach of the Year, Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year seven times, the 2010 FieldTurf Division II Coach of the Year and the 2013 and 2016 Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) Division II Coach of the Year. He is a member of the Upstate Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame (2013), the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame (2017) and the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame (2019).

“Coach Sheehan’s impact at Le Moyne cannot be overstated,” said Le Moyne President Linda LeMura. “Beyond his unparalleled coaching success and the immense pride all Dolphins take in the men’s lacrosse program, he brought national attention to the College each year his team made a championship run. He was a positive influence on the hundreds of young men he coached, serving as a leader and role model in ways that went far beyond the lacrosse field.”

“Dan Sheehan is synonymous with Le Moyne excellence. While his on-field record speak for itself, the true impact he had is found in those who rallied around a program defined by tradition, loyalty and championship mettle,” said Phil Brown, Le Moyne’s assistant vice president of athletics and campus recreation. “He bridged generations of Dolphin alumni, fans and supporters across the country and I am thrilled that all constituencies will continue to benefit from his leadership in this new role.” Brown stated that a national search for a new coach will begin immediately.

“No one understands the heart of the Le Moyne athletic community quite like Sheehan,” said Jim Joseph ’83, Ed.D. ’23, vice president of advancement and innovation. “After almost three decades of building deeply rooted relationships with our alumni, friends and partners, Sheehan is uniquely positioned to lead the philanthropic vision of Le Moyne athletics. In his new role, he will lead major fundraising initiatives vital to ensuring our student athletics and athletic programs have the resources they need to compete and thrive at the Division I level.” Joseph thanked Mike Lindberg ’79 for serving as interim director of philanthropy for athletics.

Sheehan’s career at Le Moyne began in 1997. A graduate of powerhouse West Genesee High School and a midfielder at Ithaca College, Sheehan planned on a career in finance, but wanted to stay involved with the sport.  He approached then-Le Moyne coach Shane Lynch with an offer to help warm up the goalies. Just months after taking this unpaid position, Lynch tragically passed away from cancer at the age of 28. Sheehan recalls that Athletic Director Dick Rockwell “took a chance on a very young unproven coach,” and the rest is history.