Chris Perzinski enters his fourth season as the head men's lacrosse coach in 2020, having already led the Blue Jays to three straight Landmark Conference championships and the program's first ever NCAA tournament victory in 2018.
In 2019, Perzinski continued his trend of preparing for the competitive Landmark schedule with half of its non-conference games coming against teams ranked in the top-20 in Divison III. After earning the top seed for the Landmark Tournament, the Blue Jays outscored its opponents, 29-12, to claim its third consecutive league championship. Perzinski brought his total number of All-Americans he has coached to five, as Jeremy Klipple and Tom Mahoney were both Honorable Mention selections by the USILA.
Elizabethtown endured one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules in 2018, going up against three nationally-ranked opponents and four NCAA tournament qualifiers. Though Perzinski's squad finished right at .500 (10-10), they were tested throughout the season. Those experiences paid off when the Jays overcame a five-goal deficit to defeat top-seeded Susquehanna, 10-9, for the Landmark title on May 5.
The Blue Jays came through in crunch time again during their NCAA Division III Championship First Round game against John Carroll at Gettysburg. E-town held JCU to a single goal in the second half and scored all three fourth-quarter goals to capture a 9-6 victory, the team's first in the national tournament. Elizabethtown would fall in the Second Round to host Gettysburg, which advanced to the Final Four.
Perzinski's first season with the Blue and Gray featured many firsts for the program.
An 11-7 late regular season victory over 18th-ranked Washington and Lee at the US Lacrosse Headquarters propelled Elizabethtown into the postseason. Coming off an unbeaten regular season in league play, the Landmark's top seed fended off challenges from Scranton in the semifinals and Catholic in the championship to win a conference title for the first time in program history. The Blue Jays received their first NCAA tournament berth and came within a quarter of upsetting 10th-ranked Franklin & Marshall in the Second Round, dropping an 11-8 decision to end the season 14-4.
Perzinski was named 2018 Landmark Conference Coach of the Year and has mentored eight All-Americans in his short time with the College. 2020 saw a program-record three All-Americans, as goalie Tom Mahoney garnered the accolade for the second time in his career while Mike Scrafano and Alec Leslie received the honor for the first time in their careers. Defenseman Jeremy Klipple '19, the 2018 Landmark Player of the Year, was a two-time USILA All-America Honorable Mention pick, while Joe Clark and Mike Specht were All-America Honorable Mention selections in 2017.
Perzinski, a former All-American defenseman and the 2015 USILA DIII Assistant Coach of the Year, is the fourth head coach in program history, which dates back to its inaugural season in 2002. "Elizabethtown's campus community is one built on pride and its people are overwhelmingly dedicated to the quality experience of all students, including our student-athletes. I believe those qualities are necessary to inspire and motivate, as well as recruit great people to join our program," said Perzinski.
Perzinski developed his craft under two of Division III's elite and well-respected coaches in Lynchburg College's Steve Koudelka and Gettysburg's Hank Janczyk.
In 2016, Perzinski was an assistant at Division I University of Richmond for head coach Dan Chemotti, serving as recruiting coordinator, special teams coach and supporting the defense. The Spiders registered an 11-5 record and reached the Southern Conference championship in just their third year of existence. The program claimed marquee victories over No. 9 Duke, Fairfield and High Point.
Perzinski spent four seasons coaching under Koudelka at his alma mater, Lynchburg, between 2011-15. He was a graduate assistant during the 2011 and 2012 seasons before moving into an assistant coaching role for Janczyk at Gettysburg in 2013. Perzinski returned to Lynchburg as an assistant in 2014 and 2015, culminating with a 21-win season --the winningest campaign in program history-- and national runner-up finish.
Lynchburg racked up 68 wins and three Old Dominion Athletic Conference titles (2012, 2014 and 2015) with Perzinski on staff. The Hornets qualified for three NCAA tournaments and advanced to the national championship game in 2015, against Tufts, after dismissing No. 8 Salisbury and No. 2 Gettysburg in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
In his lone year at Gettysburg, Perzinski was the defensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and strength and conditioning coach. The Bullets faced five nationally-ranked teams, earning victories over No. 3 Lynchburg and No. 12 Washington College on their way to a 9-7 record.
During his five seasons as a Division III assistant, Perzinski recruited and coached 15 All-Americans, four of whom were First Team selections.
Perzinski was an All-American defenseman at Lynchburg, receiving USILA Third Team honors as a senior in 2008. He played on Hornet teams that won ODAC championships in 2005 and 2008, made three NCAA tournament appearances and collected a 55-16 record during his playing career. He also earned a spot on the All-ODAC First Team and VaSID All-State Second Team as a senior, and was selected to play in the North-South game.
Following his collegiate playing career, Perzinski was the first captain of the Polish National Lacrosse team that competed in the World Games of 2010 in Manchester, England, and 2014 in Denver, Colorado.
A native of Freeland, Maryland, Perzinski started his coaching career at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Virginia. He coached the team to a Northwest Region title in 2009 and was named U.S. Lacrosse Assistant Coach of the Year in 2010 for the Virginia High School Region. Perzinski received his undergraduate degree in business marketing from Lynchburg in 2008 and returned to the school for his master's degree in educational leadership in 2012.
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| CHRIS PERZINSKI YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORD |
|
Overall |
Conference |
|
| Year |
School |
Wins |
Losses |
Pct. |
Wins |
Losses |
Pct. |
Postseason & Honors |
| 2017 |
Elizabethtown |
14 |
4 |
.778 |
6 |
0 |
1.000 |
Landmark Conference Champions
NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2018 |
Elizabethtown |
10 |
10 |
.500 |
4 |
2 |
.667 |
Landmark Conference Champions
NCAA Tournament Second Round |
| 2019 |
Elizabethtown |
11 |
8 |
.579 |
5 |
1 |
.833 |
Landmark Conference Champions
NCAA Tournament Second Round |
| 2020 |
Elizabethtown |
3 |
3 |
.300 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
| Coaching Totals |
| 4 Seasons |
Elizabethtown |
38 |
25 |
.603 |
15 |
3 |
.833 |
|
| 3 Seasons |
|
38 |
25 |
.603 |
15 |
3 |
.833 |
|
