(Story courtesy of the Southwestern University website)
GEORGETOWN, Texas - Matthew Grosso, a seasoned veteran of women's lacrosse, was announced as Southwestern University's first head women's lacrosse coach. Grosso will build the team for a year before leading the Pirates in action for their inaugural season in spring 2014.
Southwestern announced in October 2011 to start up the women's lacrosse team in conjunction with the reinstatement of football for the 2013-2014 academic school year.
"I am honored to be named the first women's lacrosse coach for Southwestern University," says Grosso. "I would like to thank President Schrum and Dr. Munt for entrusting me with the opportunity to build Southwestern's program from the ground up."
"This is another exciting step forward for Southwestern University Athletics as we become only the second institution in the state of Texas to offer women's lacrosse on the intercollegiate level," says Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Glada Munt. "We are very delighted to have been able to attract a coach of Matthew Grosso's experience and qualifications to our University and to lead our women's lacrosse program into this new era. We look forward to seeing him field our first varsity team in the spring of 2014!"
Grosso comes to Southwestern after serving as the head women's lacrosse coach at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. for eight seasons. Grosso has made seven straight appearances in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament and is the winningest coach in the team's history. Under his leadership, 20 Guilford student-athletes have received 31 All-ODAC, three All-Chesapeake Region and five North-South All-Star honors. Grosso guided the Quakers to an 11-7 overall record, 7-2 in the ODAC and earning 2012 ODAC Women's Lacrosse Coach-of-the-Year honros with a high powered offense that averaged nearly 13 goals per game supported by a tough defense that posted a save percentage of 46.5, second in the ODAC.
"I'm very excited to begin the challenge of developing a lacrosse program in such a rapidly emerging area of the country for the sport," states Grosso. "I have had the opportunity to coach some outstanding Texas lacrosse student-athletes in the past, and I'm looking forward to keeping them close to home while establishing Southwestern University as the premier women's lacrosse-playing institution in the region."
Prior to Guilford, Grosso was the top women's lacrosse assistant coach at Goucher College for four seasons including the 2004 and 2001 squads that went 12-5 and 14-4, respectively, and finished the season ranked 14th in the nation according to the final Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association NCAA Division III Poll.
In 1999, Grosso gained his first head coaching experience at Trinity College in Washington, D.C. and was named as the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference Co-Coach of the Year.
Grosso has spent time working with the Triad Youth Lacrosse Association during the fall and has coached for the United States Athletes International. He also led the 2006 and 2007 college select teams to Australia. Grosso currently serves on the Division III North-South Senior All-Star Committee for the IWLCA and served on the Division III All-American Committee for six years, chairing the committee in 2009 and 2010.
Additionally, Grosso was the color commentator for the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Semifinals webcast, covering the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Division III contests and 2009 and 2010 Division II games. He has also spent 14 years as a women's lacrosse official and held a District rating from US Lacrosse.
Grosso earned a bachelor's degree in historic architecture and cultural archaeology in 1997 from George Mason and a master's degree in athletic program leadership and administration from Goucher in December 2003.
Grosso is excited to be moving back to his wife's home state of Texas and is looking forward to getting involved in the local community and starting their family.
