UAlbany gives Marr 200th
Danes’ coach 1 of 8 active Div. I coaches to achieve milestone
ALBANY — University at Albany men’s lacrosse coach Scott Marr walked into Saturday’s postgame news conference carrying a bottle of Covalli Prosecco wine with a piece of tape that read, “Congrats on No. 200.”
It was a present from his team after Marr earned his 200th career victory with an 11-7 victory over Drexel on a freezing, snowy afternoon at Casey Stadium.
“Somebody legal, I hope, bought it,” Marr said with a laugh.
The Great
Danes players crowded around Marr and jumped in celebration on the sideline after securing the milestone victory, which was also the first win of the season for UAlbany (1-2).
Senior attack Jack Pucci, who had four goals, said the players were aware of Marr’s accomplishment long before it was announced over the public address system at game’s end.
“I can’t even put it into words,” Pucci said. “We were obviously trying to get there last year and we fell a little short. While it wasn’t on the front of our heads, it was definitely in the back for all the returning guys from Day 1. There had been murmurs about it and the fact that we got to do it against a good Drexel team that has become a rivalry, it just means even more.”
Pucci could have bought the wine. He was born in 2000, the year before Marr made his head-coaching debut.
Marr, whose team lost its first two games of the season to Syracuse and Cornell, improved to 200-143 over 23 seasons at UAlbany. He becomes one of eight active Division I coaches with at least 200 wins and the 36th all-time in Division I.
“It’s nice, but we play a team sport and I’ve always been a team guy,” Marr said. “It was nice to have that spotlight, I guess, on me for that moment and it was fun ... but it’s 200 team wins, not 200 Scott Marr wins.”
Marr, 54, said his main concern Saturday was getting the first victory for this year’s team. He said his personal milestone
reflected the support he’s gotten over 23 years from his players, his assistant coaches, former UAlbany athletic director Lee McElroy, who hired him, and current Great Danes athletic director Mark Benson.
Along the way, Marr has won nine America East titles and reached 10 NCAA Tournaments, including UAlbany’s only Final Four appearance in 2018.
He said he still remembers his first UAlbany victory — a 15-9 win on March 24, 2001 at Boston College, which no longer sponsors men’s lacrosse.
“It’s a lot to stay in one place for this long in sports,” Marr said. “I’m proud of that fact, that I’ve been here for 23 years and I’ll finish my career here and hope I have a few more brighter days before I retire.”
On Saturday, UAlbany sophomore midfielder Thomas Decker scored just 45 seconds into the match and the Great Danes took a 3-0 lead.
Drexel (1-2) closed to within 5-3 and had a man advantage to start the second half. But UAlbany goalie Jack VanValkenburgh (six saves), getting his first start of the season, made a nice save on the doorstep and then Pucci scored to make it 6-3 with 11:18 left in the third quarter.
When the Dragons closed within 7-5, UAlbany’s Silas Richmond and Pucci scored back-to-back goals to keep them at a safe distance.
UAlbany returns to action March 7 against UMass at Casey Stadium.