FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2009

A.J. Stevens Named MSC Director of Lacrosse/Head Men’s Coach
 Lacrosse to Begin Fall 2010

GRAND JUNCTION- A.J. Stevens has been named Director of Lacrosse/Head Men’s Coach as announced by Mesa State Athletic Director Butch Miller.

“We are excited to have Coach Stevens on board as our head men’s coach and to oversee the transition of lacrosse as an intercollegiate sport at Mesa State”, said Miller. “He has the experience, knowledge and proven record to make an immediate impact in the sport of lacrosse around the region”, added Miller.

 Stevens comes to Mesa State after spending two years as the head coach at the University of Illinois. He spent two years as a member the Chicago Machine coaching staff. Stevens has served as the director of lacrosse operations and assistant coach for Chicago’s Major League Lacrosse franchise.

A.J. Stevens was named the head coach at Illinois during the summer of 2005 and quickly established the Illini as one of the premier lacrosse programs in the Midwest. In two years, he compiled a 23-13 overall record and a 15-5 Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference mark, having reached the conference championship game each season. Additionally, Stevens was twice named GRLC Coach of the year producing 21 All-Conference players, 9 Academic All-America honorees, 4 All-America team members, and one Offensive Player of the Year.   The Illini also completed each season under Stevens ranked in the MCLA top 25 poll.  Prior to his arrival, Illinois had not been nationally ranked in nearly a decade.

Prior to coming to Illinois, Stevens served as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College, a NCAA Division I school in Hanover, NH. During his tenure, Dartmouth began the transition from also-ran to a national contender in Division I college lacrosse.  Prior to joining the Big Green, Stevens was the head coach at Roger Williams University, a NCAA Division III school in Bristol, RI. He led the Hawks to a 7-7 overall record and a 5-3 mark in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. He was the head coach of the West team in the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Senior All-Star Game.  Stevens also served as head coach at Indiana University leading the Hoosiers to a 13-3 record.  He has a career record of 44 wins and 23 losses in four seasons as a head coach.

Stevens played three years of varsity lacrosse for the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and was team captain as a senior.

Stevens and his wife Carrie, currently reside in Ottawa, IL with their newborn son, Cade.

---MAVS---