POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Keegan Wilkinson has stepped down after 13 seasons as Marist's head men's lacrosse coach and a 17-year association with the program to pursue another professional opportunity. Current associate head coach Dave Scarcello will be the Red Foxes' new head coach, bringing over 10 years' experience with the program as both a student-athlete and coach.
 
"Marist will be forever grateful for the outstanding success Keegan has brought to our men's lacrosse program over his 17-year tenure," Marist Director of Athletics Tim Murray said. "Coach Wilkinson had outstanding command and showed great leadership in building his program, making it the most successful men's lacrosse program in the MAAC. His outstanding work ethic, tireless efforts in recruiting, and strong culture that he created were embraced by every student-athlete he coached. I wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward."
 
Wilkinson departs Marist as the winningest head coach in program history, and one of the most successful coaches in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference history. Wilkinson posted a 99-85 overall record and 52-25 mark in MAAC regular season play. He is tied for the most conference championships (three) of any coach in conference history, and he reached the 50-win career milestone faster than any coach in conference history. He was a three-time MAAC Coach of the Year who was named to the MAAC's 40^th Anniversary Men's Lacrosse Team in 2020. The Red Foxes reached the MAAC championship game six times in his tenure, including four straight years from 2014-17.
 
Under Wilkinson's leadership, the Red Foxes won MAAC championships in 2015, 2019, and 2023. The 2015 team went 14-4 overall, 6-0 MAAC play, and earned the program's first win in NCAA play with an opening round victory over Bryant. That year, he was one of six finalists for USILA Division I Coach of the Year. His tenure included success against top programs, with victories over Army, Marquette, Towson, Hofstra, Drexel, Stony Brook, Air Force, Michigan, Colgate and High Point. The Red Foxes' 17-9 home triumph over #9/#7 Army on Feb. 18, 2020, was the highest-ranked opponent Marist defeated in program history.
 
In Wilkinson's tenure, the Red Foxes had 14 MAAC major award winners, 33 First Team All-MAAC selections, 24 Second Team All-MAAC honorees, and 20 MAAC All-Rookie Team selections. Seven of his players went on to play in either Major League Lacrosse or the Premier Lacrosse League. He recruited and developed the program's first USILA All-Americans (four) and USILA Scholar All-Americans (11). A total of 11 Red Foxes participated in the USILA North-South Game in his tenure, and Wilkinson served as the North head coach twice himself.
 
Wilkinson's impact at Marist extended beyond the playing field, as evidenced by his establishing an annual award honoring Edward Coombs, a Marist midfielder who passed away less than six weeks after Wilkinson became head coach in 2011. Coombs' number 34 is now presented on an annual basis to a senior who embodies Coombs' best qualities: passion, determination, energy, and a great teammate and member of the community.
 
Wilkinson and his wife, Jessica, are the parents of two children: daughter, Ryan (3); and son, James (nine months). Jessica Wilkinson was head coach of the Marist women's lacrosse program from 2011-23 and played for the Marist women's lacrosse team from 2005-08.
 
"The last 17 years at Marist have been truly amazing and while leaving is incredibly difficult, I have great confidence in my decision knowing that the program is positioned for tremendous success moving forward," Wilkinson said. "I am proud to have established a culture that embraced the challenge to work as hard as we could to put the team in a position to compete for a conference championship every year while also honoring the life and legacy of Edward Taylor Coombs. The years that followed have shaped Marist into the strongest and most successful men's lacrosse program in the history of the MAAC. I will forever cherish the relationships built with our student-athletes, families, alumni and staff. While a piece of my heart will always be in Tenney Stadium, the time is right for my family to take our next steps, and for me professionally to move on to a new challenge. To all of my amazing players over the years, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."
 
Scarcello Brings Over Decade of Experience as New Head Coach
Scarcello has a 10-year association with the Marist men's lacrosse program as a coach and student-athlete. He was promoted to associate head coach in the fall of 2023 after having served as assistant coach from the 2019-23 seasons. Scarcello was a goalie for the Red Foxes from 2012-15, and he was an integral part of all three MAAC championships during Wilkinson's tenure.
 
"I would like to thank President Kevin Weinman, Executive Vice President Geoff Brackett, Athletics Director Tim Murray, and the community of my alma mater, Marist College, for this tremendous opportunity," Scarcello said. "I am so thankful that the leadership of Marist College has entrusted me with the program that means so much to me. I cannot thank Keegan Wilkinson enough for his mentorship over the last 12 years as both a player and coach; spending time under his guidance has been some of the most transformative and important years of my life. I am forever grateful that he allowed me the opportunity to help build this program with a championship culture and one that, as an alum, we can be incredibly proud of. I have spent the better half of my adult life within the Marist community as both a player and coach and could not be more excited to continue that in this new role. My hope is that I will continue to make the College, our alumni, and our young men proud and excited to be a part of this special program."
 
In the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Scarcello was the Red Foxes' offensive coordinator. The Red Foxes won the 2023 MAAC championship, and Jojo Pirreca was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. Marist broke the MAAC record for goals in a season (242), and set a single-game record for goals (29) in its conference quarterfinal win over Quinnipiac. This was the highest total in an NCAA game in a quarter century. In 2024, he assisted with the tutelage of Joshua Balcarcel, who earned a First Team All-MAAC selection and finished fifth in the MAAC in points per game.
 
Scarcello was the Red Foxes' defensive coordinator from 2019-22. In this time, he coached a MAAC major award winner, three First Team All-MAAC selections, and two Second Team All-MAAC selections. The Red Foxes won the MAAC championship in 2019. In Scarcello's six seasons on staff, Marist posted a record of 25-9 (.735 winning percentage) in MAAC regular-season play.
 
In Scarcello's playing career, he was a three-year starter and two-year captain. As a senior, he was named Most Outstanding Player of the MAAC Championship as the Red Foxes won the conference title in 2015. That year, Scarcello was named a USILA Scholar All-American and won the Pizzani Award at Marist's Senior Awards Dinner. He also became the first player in program history to be presented with the number 34 in memory of Eddie Coombs for an entire season in 2015.
 
"Dave has been such a big part of our men's lacrosse program and worked so closely with Coach Wilkinson on creating a dynamic team culture and tireless work ethic," Murray said. "He's a natural fit to be our next head coach, and to build upon this program's strong foundation. Dave was an outstanding student-athlete, a captain and leader as a student, and I'm confident he'll continue the program's history of success as its new head coach."
 
Scarcello began his coaching career at Concordia University Wisconsin, where he spent the 2016-17 seasons. He served as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator as the Falcons went 25-11 in this time and won their first regular-season championship in 2017. In 2018, Scarcello worked at VMI, where he was defensive coordinator and worked with the Keydets' goalies. VMI ranked fifth nationally in caused turnovers per game that season.
 
The Marist men's lacrosse program has won four MAAC championships in its history: 2005, 2015, 2019, and 2023. This total is the most of any school in conference history.