Fitchburg State has found the first head coach in program history as the Falcons prepare to officially enter the DeeThreeLax landscape. The university has named Thomas Moorshead the head coach of its newly established men’s lacrosse program, which is scheduled to begin competition in the spring of 2027 as a member of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). Moorshead arrives at Fitchburg State with ties to both the local lacrosse community and the college game. A 2012 graduate of Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, Moorshead was an all-star lacrosse player before continuing his playing career at UConn.

Since transitioning into coaching, Moorshead has made stops at St. Bernard’s High School and Nashoba Regional High School before spending four years as the head coach at The Winchendon School. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach at DeeTwoLax Franklin Pierce University.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Thomas Moorshead to lead our new men’s varsity lacrosse program,” Fitchburg State Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation Matt Burke said. “Thomas’s deep roots in the local lacrosse community, combined with his stellar playing background and his coaching experience at the collegiate level, make him the perfect fit to build this program from the ground up.”

Along with taking over the men’s lacrosse program, Moorshead will serve as Fitchburg State’s athletics recruiting coordinator.

“I couldn’t be more excited and I know it’s going to be stage-building,” Moorshead said. “You can see what the university is trying to do to make this sport a success here. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s going to be incredible in the short term and the long term. I can’t wait to start.”

Fitchburg State announced in April that it would elevate men’s lacrosse to varsity status, bringing the university to 19 varsity athletic programs. The university’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the addition, setting the stage for the Falcons to join the MASCAC and compete at the NCAA DeeThreeLax level beginning in 2027. Fitchburg State previously supported a club program competing in the Continental Lacrosse Conference, but the move to varsity status represents another addition to an already deep DeeThreelax footprint in New England. The addition also continues the growth of DeeThreeLax men’s lacrosse, particularly in a region where the sport has a significant high school and collegiate presence.

Now Moorshead will be tasked with constructing the roster and establishing the identity of the newest program. His early message to prospective players is straightforward: work ethic will be at the center of what Fitchburg State wants to build.

“If you want to play here, I just care that you want to come here and work hard,” Moorshead said. “I can always take a hard-working player and make them great. You can’t always take a great player and make them hard-working.”

That philosophy will become the foundation as Moorshead begins recruiting the first roster in Fitchburg State history. With a head coach now in place, the next phase begins for the Falcons: building a roster, establishing a culture and preparing for their first NCAA DeeThreeLax season in the spring of 2027.