Lourdes University Athletics

Patrick Yannarelli was named the first men’s lacrosse coach at Lourdes University in 2013, charged with creating the program from scratch.

Yannarelli enters 2023, his ninth at the helm of the Gray Wolves, with a 74-43 record at Lourdes.  He was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2016 after guiding Lourdes to the NAIA National Invitational semifinals.

A two-time Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (2014 and 2016), Yannarelli also garnered Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association Coach of the Year honors in 2016 as well after leading the Gray Wolves to a berth in the MCLA National Championship.

Yannarelli guided Lourdes to its second consecutive NAIA National Invitational appearance in 2017 after the Gray Wolves captured the WHAC tournament title.  In 2021, Lourdes returned to the NAIA National Invitational.

Yannarelli has produced a pair of NAIA All-America First Team and three Second Team selections during his tenure on the Lourdes bench.  In addition, he has led a Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association Second Team and Third Team All-American as well as three MCLA All-America Honorable Mention picks.

Yannarelli has coached 17 First Team All-WHAC, five Second Team All-WHAC, and nine Honorable Mention All-WHAC honorees during his tenure at Lourdes in addition to the WHAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and the WHAC Newcomer of the Year in 2014. 

In the classroom, Yannarelli had had 27 student-athletes named to the WHAC All-Academic Team, and he himself was named the WHAC Champions of Character Coach in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.  He has also had 14 players named NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Yannarelli is also active off the field.  He was selected to the NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Executive Committee where he is the secretary, and he also serves as a conference rater for the WHAC.  He is Lourdes athletic department’s champions of character liaison and also teaches sport management classes for the university.

Yannarelli arrived at Lourdes after serving as the head boys’ lacrosse coach at Butler High School in Matthews, N.C. from 2010-2013.  He tied the school record for wins in a season and had five players earn All-League honors.  Prior to Butler, he spent two seasons at Morrisville State College in New York, where he helped transition the school from a two-year program to a four-year program. 

He began his coaching career at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in 2002, helping to start the first NCAA Division III lacrosse program in Bronx, N.Y. 

Yannarelli is a 2001 graduate of Greensboro College, earning a bachelor’s degree in sports and exercise science.  He went on and earned his master’s degree at SUNY-Cortland in 2009 in sports management.