Greg Cannella retires after more than 3 decades with UMass lax

Greg Cannella announced his retirement as UMass men’s lacrosse coach on Friday, completing an epic run of more than three decades that sits favorably alongside that of his mentor, the legendary Dick Garber.

“To say we have been fortunate is an understatement,” director of athletics Ryan Bamford said in a statement. “The second winningest coach in program history, coach Cannella’s legacy is also widely recognized for the amazing personal growth of the young men who played for him.”

Cannella’s teams won 256 games and eight conference championships in 31 seasons, reaching nine NCAA tournaments and — as an unseeded team — the 2006 championship game. The 15-7 loss to unbeaten Virginia was the first title-game appearance for a New England school.

Cannella won National Coach of the Year following that season, to go with four CAA conference honors, four ECAC honors, and five New England honors in his career. The 1988 alum’s 256-181 record sits second only to Garber, whose Gorillas went 300-141-3 from 1955-90 and also qualified for nine NCAA tourneys.

Cannella played for Garber in 1986-87, and served as an assistant for his successor, son Ted Garber, in 1993-94. Cannella took over as head coach in November 1994 after Ted Garber left UMass to coach prep lacrosse at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut.

“I took tremendous pride, as an alum, coming to work each day, sitting in coach Garber’s seat, and doing my best to carry on his legacy and the tradition of excellence he set here,” Cannella said in a statement, thanking wife Laurie and their children, Vance and Virginia, among others. “I consider myself very lucky to have had this opportunity to be part of the lives of so many great people here at UMass. Those relationships are ones I will cherish always.”

Kyle Smith, a 2014 UMass product, will replace Cannella as the program’s fifth head coach in 73 years. Smith served first as an assistant, then associate head coach, under Cannella the past four seasons following a stint on the staff at Merrimack.