ROCHESTER, NY – Veteran rugby coach and official, Andrew Spencer has been named the next head coach of the Nazareth University Rugby team. He will officially take over as head coach July 1.

"We are very happy to have Andrew take over the head coaching position for the rugby team," said Director of Athletics Pete Bothner. "I am grateful to Dana Schneider who filled in as the interim head coach over the last year and kept the young program moving while we searched for a full-time head coach."

Spencer most recently was the head coach of the SUNY Geneseo Club Rugby program and has worked as an assistant coach with the Nazareth team this season. In addition to coaching, Spencer is a certified official for National Collegiate Rugby.

At Geneseo, Spencer led the program to back-to-back conference titles and a pair of appearances in the Collegiate Rugby Conference (CRC) National Tournament. The Knights won conference titles in the Lake Effect Rugby Conference in 2022 and the Upstate Small College Conference in 2021.

The team won the New York State Small College championship to earn a second trip to the CRC National Tournament in 2023.

He guided the 15's to the semifinal round of the Northeast Regional Small College championship tournament in 2022 and took the 7's squad to the round of 16 at the CRC May Madness National Tournament also in 2022.

He has experience at the secondary level as well as an assistant coach for McQuaid Jesuit and helped the team to an Upstate Conference runner-up finish.

His playing experience includes stints with the Rochester Aardvarks (15's) and the Roc City Reapers (7's). He was a team captain for the St. John Fisher club team as an undergraduate. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from John Carroll in Ohio and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from St. John Fisher.