Mercadante named assistant coach

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus College men’s lacrosse coach Jamie Steele has announced the hiring of Gary Mercadante as assistant coach for the men’s lacrosse program.

Mercadante is no stranger to the Centennial, as he recently graduated from Dickinson College with a degree in American Studies. He served as captain for the team for the past two seasons, and was the team’s Rookie of the Year in 2006.

“We are very excited about Gary joining our coaching staff,” said Steele. “Everyone I spoke with about Gary cited his work ethic, integrity and leadership. That is exactly what I was looking for to fill this position. He will be a tremendous addition to both our team and the Ursinus College community as a whole.”

He has been an instructor at several camps along the East Coast, including the Tier I Lacrosse Camp in nearby Haverford.

Aside from his lacrosse background, Mercadante has been very active in community service projects. In 2006, he helped rebuild the Plaquemines Parish community in southern Louisiana which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In January 2008, he provided help to the Native American Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the “Make a Difference Tour”. He was involved in a variety of work projects during the day and taught lacrosse to children along with the entire Dickinson team.

Ursinus opens the 2010 season on Saturday, February 27 at Messiah.

For Associated Press Transaction Wire:

URSINUS – Gary Mercadante named men’s lacrosse assistant coach