MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – SUNY Morrisville Director of Athletics, Matt Grawrock, announced the selection of Chris Cooper as head coach of the men's lacrosse program for the 2023-24 season.
 
"I am grateful to get to continue to work with an incredible group of student athletes, fellow coaches, and administrators," Cooper said. "Our family could not be more thankful to the Morrisville community for being so welcoming through this transition." 
 
Cooper, who served in the interim role on the Morrisville sidelines last season, guided the Mustangs to a 9-5 overall record, while posting a 4-1 slate within the United East conference.
 
"From the very first conversations I had with Chris, I knew he would be a powerful leader for this program," Grawrock said. "We spent more time talking about culture, and the experience of our student-athletes than we did X's and O's.
 
"Chris loves the sport of lacrosse, but I could tell he loves the opportunity to mold and grow teams more, and I knew he could handle a tricky transition period with a tight turnaround of games while instilling an environment that would produce long-term gains.
 
"His background demonstrates a coach that can help our program succeed on the field, on the recruiting trail, and in the classroom.
 
"Our department has already benefited from his positivity and optimism for the direction of athletics. He has jumped in feet first to help make the men's lacrosse program, and all of our programs as well."
 
Under Cooper, the Mustangs reached the conference championship final, while having seven earn All-Conference accolades.
 
His Morrisville squad ranked second overall in the league in goals scored per game, while ranking third in points per game.
 
Behind the play of the nationally ranked defensive unit, Morrisville allowed a conference low 8.21 goals against average and a fifth best nationally ranked Division III average caused turnovers per game.
 
Morrisville's scoring defense ranked 14^th overall in all of Division III, and was 12^th in man-down defense.
 
"I look forward to the future of the program with him at the helm, and I am confident that the members of the program will benefit and grow under his guidance," Grawrock said.
 
SUNY Morrisville's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
 
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2023 issue and earned additional recognition in Top Public Schools Regional Colleges (North). For more information about SUNY Morrisville, visit www.morrisville.edu.
 
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