Long Island-native Dan Paccione took over as the USMMA men's lacrosse head coach ahead of the 2022 season, replacing the legendary Tom Gill, who led the Mariners for the previous three decades.
In four seasons, Paccione has compiled a 39-25 overall record and led the Mariners to the 2023 Skyline Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. He coached one USILA Honorable Mention All-American (Carter Hall '23), one All-Region honoree (Jason Aiello '22 - All-ECAC HM), two Skyline Rookies of the Year (Jack Collins '25 and Owen Barcus '26) and a total of 13 All-Skyline selections.
Paccione's teams have also had success in the classroom under his tutalage, as a total of 29 Mariners earned spots on the Skyline Academic Honor Roll.
“My family and I are very excited and thankful for the opportunity to join the USMMA family,” said Paccione. “I would like to thank our athletic director Kristofer Schnatz and the entire search committee for believing in me and my vision of what I will bring to the academy. I plan to build on the foundation and tradition that was built over the years by Coach Gill, Coach Dwyer and the rest of the coaching staff, as well as all the great student-athletes that have come through this prestigious program. I also want to thank Head Coach Jason Miller, all of the St John’s community, players and alumni for the love and support for the past 15 years. I am extremely honored with this great opportunity and can’t wait to meet with the team and get started!”
Paccione comes to Kings Point after spending the past 15 years running the offense at nearby St. John’s University. He spent his first eight seasons in Queens as the top assistant under head coach Jason Miller, before being elevated to associate head coach in 2014.
During his time at SJU, the Red Storm had been featured in the national top-20 coaches and media polls for parts of three seasons, reaching as high as #14/10 in 2013 after a major upset of #1 Notre Dame. That victory, the biggest in program history, came less than a year after St. John’s defeated the then-#2 Fighting Irish in the Big East Semifinals in 2012, resulting in the Red Storm finishing that year as the Big East runner-up.
Throughout his tenure, Paccione mentored an attacking unit that has evolved into one of the most potent and explosive in the country. He has coached 12 players who earned 17 Big East Conference accolades, including three-time USILA All-American Kieran McArdle, who is currently playing in the National Lacrosse League and Premier League Lacrosse.
Prior to St. John's, Paccione spent a season at Stony Brook University, where he worked primarily with both the face-off unit and wing players. He also tutored the man-up personnel, which finished in the top 10 in the country for shooting percentage.
From 2004-05, Paccione worked as an assistant to Yale head coach Andy Shay, where his primary responsibilities included face-off and wing play personnel. During his two-season tenure with the Bulldogs, the face-off unit finished with one of the nation's best winning percentages at the X (.663).
“We are thrilled to have Dan on board here at Kings Point to lead the men’s lacrosse program,” said Schnatz. “He has a wealth of knowledge for the sport of lacrosse – from competing on both the collegiate and professional level, as well as being a key member of the coaching staff at nearby St. John’s University – that should help lead to a smooth transition into this position. The groundwork for USMMA Lacrosse has been set for the past three decades, and we believe Coach Paccione will raise the bar even higher.”
Paccione played lacrosse for the University of Massachusetts and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree in sports management. He led the Minutemen to two ECAC Championships in 2001 and 2002, and the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2002. In 2002, Paccione also earned first team All-ECAC honors and the UMass offensive Most Valuable Player award when he recorded 34 goals and 13 assists for 47 points, and won 86-of-156 face-offs for a .548 winning percentage.
After graduating from UMass, Paccione played for the New York Saints of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). He was also selected by the Long Island Lizards as the 11th overall pick in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) draft. He played for the Lizards from 2002-03 and helped the team win the MLL Championship in 2003. In 2004, Paccione played for the Philadelphia Barrage, another squad that won the MLL Championship. The following season, Paccione suited up for the Lizards again, and the team advanced to the MLL Championship game. In 2006, Paccione played for the Chicago Machine.
Paccione and his wife Katie, a physical education teacher in Farmingdale, N.Y., reside in Wantagh, N.Y. The couple has three children, Devin (13), Madison (11) and Luke (8).
