Ithaca College announced July 6 — after Jeff Long’s 36–year tenure — Tommy Pearce will join the men’s lacrosse program as head coach for the 2023–24 season. 

Pearce will join the Bombers following a five–year stint as the head men’s lacrosse coach at Allegheny College. There, he spearheaded the program’s inaugural season in 2020 and ultimately built the team into a respectable contender in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. 

Prior to his time with Allegheny, Pearce reintroduced the Frostburg State University men’s lacrosse team to NCAA competition for the first time since 1978. The Bobcats retook the field in 2011 under Pearce’s guidance. He earned Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year accolades in 2013 and 2015 before his departure from the program in 2018.

Susan Bassett ’79, associate vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics, said in the announcement that Pearce’s experience working with emerging programs will serve the Bombers well as they continue to fight for their first–ever Liberty League title.

“… His proven track record of success in building two programs from scratch to competitive success earned our absolute confidence in his ability to build on the legacy established in IC men’s lacrosse,” Bassett said in the statement. “Beyond that, his commitment to student-athlete success in every aspect of their educational experience is prominent in his philosophy of coaching.”

As a student-athlete, Pearce competed on the men’s lacrosse team at Gettysburg College during the 1998–01 seasons. A two-time captain for the Bullets, Pearce was an impact player in the midfield. He earned All-American status during his junior and senior seasons while leading the team to the national championship game in 2001. Pearce later went on to be inducted into the Gettysburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020. 

Pearce said he looks forward to meeting the exemplary standards that Long set for the past 36 seasons and continuing to bring the Bombers toward national success.

“I can’t wait to join the campus community on South Hill and begin preparing with the team for the 2024 season,” Pearce said in the statement. “I look forward to honoring the tradition of excellence in athletics and men’s lacrosse at IC as well as Coach Long’s legacy by competing for conference and national championships year in and year out.”