Current time in Baltimore 2:17 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2009
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It has not taken long for Head Coach Charley Toomey, entering his fourth season at the helm of the storied Loyola lacrosse program, to return his alma mater back to national prominence. In fact, the program has enjoyed a renaissance period under the 1990 Loyola product. In 2007 and 2008, Coach Toomey and the Greyhounds advanced to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since 2000-2001.
The 2009 season will mark Toomey's 10th year on the Loyola staff. In over a decade of work at Evergreen, he has helped out with the goalkeepers, served as defensive coordinator, and served at the helm of the program. Coach Toomey is a perfect embodiment of Loyola's past successes, as well as the high expectations he has placed on the program for the future.
In 2008, Toomey was recognized by his peers as ECAC Co-Coach of the Year for the second time in three years. He led the Greyhounds to the ECAC title with a 6-1 record in conference play. The title marked the program's first since joining the ECAC in 2005. He has an impressive 16-5 ECAC record in three seasons as Loyola's coach. Furthermore, he has never lost a home conference game and never finished lower than tied for second in the final league standings.
After weathering a challenging out-of-conference slate at the beginning of 2008, the Greyhounds hit their stride at the end of March. In a five-week span, the Greyhounds ripped off four wins, including impressive conference wins over UMass (15-1), as well as sizeable wins over conference foes Rutgers (15-3), and Fairfield (13-4).
Earning their 16th NCAA Tournament berth in 2008, the Greyhounds lost to top-seeded and eventual national runners-up, Duke, 12-7, in a hard-fought, first-round match in Durham, N.C.
Under Toomey, the 2008 team ranked among the top three in nearly every statistical category in the ECAC. Boasting an up-tempo offense, the Greyhounds ranked third in the conference in goals-a-game (9.29) and in points-a-game (13.43). But true to his goalkeeper roots, the defense has also been a key ingredient to Loyola's success. Last season, the Greyhounds allowed a league-low 39 goals in seven conference matchups (5. 57 a game), an astonishing 18 goals lower than Hobart, which ranked second with 57.
Toomey has been involved in 10 of the 16 NCAA D-I Tournament appearances in program history; three as a player, five as an assistant coach and two as a head coach.
In his first season as head coach in 2006, Toomey was selected as ECAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Greyhounds to a 6-6 overall record and a 5-2 conference mark. The Greyhounds finished 4-1 at home that season, defeating No. 2 Georgetown (14-10) as well as conference foes Penn State and Rutgers.
During his second year at the helm in 2007, Loyola accomplished its goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament. The storied program assembled an eye-raising tournament resume with marquee wins over then-ranked No. 1 Duke and Syracuse.
A defensive specialist, Toomey served as defensive coordinator with the Greyhounds prior to his appointment as head coach. His contributions to the unit and to the program, along with his coaching style and work ethic, earned him recognition in Lacrosse Magazine, which featured him as one of the nation's top assistants in 2005.
Beginning his coaching career at his alma mater following his graduation, Toomey helped lead the 1991 and 1992 Greyhounds to the NCAA Tournament. He then moved on to the Naval Academy Prep School, where he worked as a head coach during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
Moving on to Navy, he held a position as an assistant coach, working specifically with the goalies and the defensive midfielders. Toomey served as the head coach at Severn School from 1996-98, leading the team to three successful seasons before returning to his alma mater in 1999.
As a student-athlete at Loyola from 1987-90, Toomey was a two-time All-America selection at goalie, garnering honorable mention honors in 1989 and third-team accolades in 1990. He owns two of Loyola's top six single-game save performances in the cage, and ranks among the Greyhounds' all-time saves leaders.
His 22 saves against Rutgers in the 1990 NCAA Tournament also tie him for the top postseason mark in school history. He finished his career with an astonishing 25-5 overall record, and was the last Loyola goalkeeper to start an NCAA Championship Game, starting the 1990 NCAA Final against Syracuse.
In the early 1990s, Toomey played professionally for the Baltimore Thunder and the Boston Blazers. He has also guided Major League Lacrosse goalies like Mark Bloomquist, Tim McGeeney and Michael Fretwell since his return to coaching.
In the three seasons that Toomey has headed the Loyola program, there have been numerous accolades for the 'Hounds. He has produced three All-Americans, 17 All-ECAC players, the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, the ECAC Rookie of the Year, and been named conference Coach of the Year twice.
Toomey currently resides in Millersville, Md., with his wife, Sara. The couple has three young daughters, Emma (10), Sophie (7) and Lyla (6).
