UMass Dartmouth men’s lacrosse is officially back. After announcing earlier this year that men’s lacrosse would return as a varsity program for the 2026–27 academic year, UMass Dartmouth has named Dan Sharbaugh as the head coach tasked with rebuilding the Corsairs from the ground up.

Sharbaugh arrives at UMass Dartmouth after seven seasons at Illinois Institute of Technology, where he helped build the Scarlet Hawks’ men’s lacrosse program from its inception. He now takes on a similar challenge in Dartmouth, leading a program returning to the field and preparing to compete in the Little East Conference.

“UMass Dartmouth is eager to welcome back men’s lacrosse,” Director of Athletics and Recreation Lori Hendricks said. “We had a very competitive pool of candidates for the head coaching position and are thrilled to have Dan Sharbaugh’s leadership for our return. Dan brings a vision aligned with Corsair expectations for success. He will be recruiting regionally and nationally to put together a team that will be exciting to watch.”

Sharbaugh brings plenty of experience building and developing programs. He became the first head coach in Illinois Tech men’s lacrosse history, taking over the inaugural program during the 2020 season. Over his tenure, the Scarlet Hawks compiled a 43–50 overall record while steadily establishing themselves as a contender in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. The program broke through in 2023, finishing 10–6 overall and 6–2 in conference play. Illinois Tech earned its first NACC playoff victory before finishing as the conference runner-up, with Sharbaugh earning NACC Coach of the Year honors.

The Scarlet Hawks continued to produce under Sharbaugh, recording at least six wins in each of his final three seasons. His players earned 36 All-Conference selections during his tenure. That experience should prove valuable at UMass Dartmouth, where Sharbaugh will be tasked with recruiting an entirely new roster and establishing the foundation for the Corsairs’ return to DeeThreeLax

Before launching the Illinois Tech program, Sharbaugh spent four seasons as the head coach at Centre College, compiling a 33–27 overall record and reaching the postseason in each of his four years. His tenure got off to a quick start, as Centre captured a regular-season conference championship during his first season after going 5–1 in league play. During his four years with the Colonels, Sharbaugh coached one All-American, 19 All-Conference selections, a Defensive Player of the Year and a Man of the Year.

Sharbaugh also brings experience from several established DeeThreeLax programs. Before becoming a head coach, he had assistant coaching stops at Gettysburg, York (PA) and his alma mater, Eastern University. He served as defensive coordinator at Eastern and York before joining Gettysburg in an offensive role in 2012. A 2009 Eastern graduate, Sharbaugh was a four-year starting defenseman for the Eagles before beginning his coaching career with the program in 2010.

The return of men’s lacrosse is part of a larger expansion of UMass Dartmouth Athletics. The university announced that men’s lacrosse and men’s swimming & diving will both return as varsity sports beginning with the 2026–27 academic year. UMass Dartmouth is also adding women’s flag football, which will begin as a club program in 2026–27 before its planned transition to varsity competition in 2027–28.

“Athletics is an important part of the fabric of our campus community,” UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Mark A. Fuller said. “I’m excited that these new sports will create additional opportunities for student-athletes to compete, grow, and represent the University, while also helping us attract even more talented students to an already strong and vibrant program.”

For DeeThreeLax, the move brings another program back to New England and adds another member to the Little East Conference.

Now the work begins for Sharbaugh. With experience launching a program from scratch at Illinois Tech and building a consistent contender at Centre, Sharbaugh will have the opportunity to put his stamp on UMass Dartmouth lacrosse immediately as the Corsairs prepare to return to competition in 2026–27.