Dave Cottle will not return as the Terrapin men’s lacrosse coach next season, the university announced May 23.
Cottle, who was in the final year of his contract, resigned just a day after the No. 3-seed Terps fell to unseeded Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
“I have decided to step down as head coach at the University of Maryland,” Cottle said in a statement. “I would like to thank Dr. Mote and Dr. Yow for the opportunity to coach at Maryland and in the Atlantic Coast Conference. I have enjoyed my nine years at Maryland. This season, I enjoyed coaching this team as much as any team I have ever been around. I have developed tremendous relationships with many Terp alumni, former coaches and have had some of the finest parents any lacrosse program has had.”
Cottle had led the Terps to eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances and no losing seasons during his tenure in College Park, but he had not advanced to the Final Four since 2006 and never appeared in the NCAA championship game. The program has not won a national title since 1975.
The Terps, who were 99-45 under Cottle, are poised to return a talented core of starters from this year’s team, which was ranked in the top five for much of the season. The Terps will likely lose only goalie Brian Phipps and attackman Will Yeatman from the team’s group of starters and will also welcome a well-regarded class of incoming recruits.
“Coach Cottle handled his duties as head coach with class and dignity,” Athletics Director Debbie Yow said in a statement. “We are appreciative of that and wish him the best in whatever he pursues professionally. We are grateful for his efforts over the last nine years.”
The school’s search committee will convene this week and commence a national search for a new coach shortly.
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