Charley Toomey Last College: Loyola '90 Position: Head Coach

Charley Toomey, who is entering his fifth season as a collegiate head coach, has put his stamp on the Loyola men's lacrosse program as a disciplined, tough, skillful unit that competes at the highest level.

Under his direction, the Greyhounds have won at least a share of the last two ECAC Championships and reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons. Since Toomey took over as Loyola's head coach before the 2006 season, the Greyhounds lead the ECAC with 22 conference victories, amassing a 22-6 record during that stretch.

Toomey's dedication to the program stems from his long ties to the Loyola community, dating back to the day he stepped onto campus as a freshman student-athlete in 1986.

He 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. Toomey is also currently a member of the NCAA National Lacrosse Committee.

The 2010 season will be Toomey's 11th year as a coach for the Greyhounds and his 20th overall in the coaching profession. Including his four years as a standout goalkeeper for the Greyhounds from 1987-1990, 2010 will be his 15th year on the Loyola campus.

While his ties to the past of Loyola men's lacrosse run deep, Toomey's vision and commitment to the future of the Greyhounds is even stronger.

Last season, Toomey guided the Greyhounds to a 9-5 record, their best since 2002. Loyola finished 6-1 in the ECAC and finished as the league's co-champion, the second year in a row Loyola has won at least a share of the crown.

According to the computer rankings, the 2009 Greyhounds played the third-toughest schedule in the nation, and they finished with an RPI of nine. Four of the Greyhounds' five losses came against teams ranked in the Top-10 nationally, and the five losses were by a combined seven goals.

The team was not short of highlights, as P.T. Ricci and Shane Koppens were named USILA All-Americans, and six Greyhounds earned All-ECAC honors. Ricci was the league Defensive Player of the Year, and Mike Sawyer was Rookie of the Year.

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. In addition to his 22-6 ECAC record, Toomey's teams have lost just one ECAC home game and have 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, and they culminated the season by earning their 16th NCAA Tournament berth.

The 2008 squad ranked among the top three in nearly every statistical category in the ECAC. Boasting an up-tempo offense, the Greyhounds were third in the conference in goals (9.29) and points per game (13.43).

But true to Toomey's goalkeeper roots, the defense has also been a key ingredient to Loyola's success. In 2008, 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.

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 year, 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 for 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 in 1993.

Moving on to Navy, he was an assistant coach for the Midshipmen, working specifically with the goalies and defensive midfielders, helping guide the squad to the 1994 NCAA Tournament.

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 amongst the Greyhounds' all-time save 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 several Major League Lacrosse goalies like Mark Bloomquist, Tim McGeeney and Michael Fretwell as a coach.

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 and his wife, Sara, live in Anne Arundel County with their three daughters, Emma, Sophie and Lyla.