Sean Quirk was in his house about to sit down for dinner when his phone rang. Calling was Springfield’s Director of Athletics, Dr. Craig Poisson. By the time Quirk sat down for dinner, he was told he was going to become the next head coach of his alma mater’s men’s lacrosse program. Quirk had a clear thought into his response.
“My stomach was in such a knot of excitement I forgot how hungry I was,” Quirk said. “It was an easy yes.”
There’s hardly been any stoppage in Quirk’s coaching career. Two years removed from graduating Springfield College and a year removed from being an assistant coach with the team, he earned the head coaching position at Endicott College in 1997. He turned the Gulls’ lacrosse program into a yearly top-25 team and ran the Commonwealth Coast Conference for over a decade while earning the Division III National Coach of the Year in 2008. In 2015, he became the head coach of the Boston Cannons in the Major Lacrosse League and eventually the Cannons head coach when they switched to the PLL, before stepping down in 2023. Quirk has seen and done it all — but for him, the “Chief Dawgs” are his home.
“I didn’t have to negotiate anything because I wanted to be back at Springfield; this is my dream job,” Quirk said. “Ever since I graduated in ‘95 I’ve had thoughts about eventually coming back, and I think every Springfield men’s lacrosse alum that is in coaching has had the same thought.”
The thought has come to fruition for Quirk three full decades later. He’s taking over for Keith Bugbee, who capped his uber-successful 42-year career with Springfield after the 2025 season as one of the winningest coaches in collegiate lacrosse history. Quirk played under Bugbee as well in his four years as goalie for the Pride.
Bugbee paved the way for Quirk, and even has the same office. Not much has changed in the room, considering that all four walls are splattered with Bugbee’s former players’ All-American plaques. Quirk takes nothing for granted every single day he steps foot on campus.
“I’m super grateful to be able to coach as well as guide the current and future players through this program,” Quirk said. “To sit in Bugbee’s office, It’s special. There’s not a lot of coaches at any level that get to do that, especially at a historic program like this and an incredible institution like this. Every day I walk through this office and pull into campus is a blessing.”
Although Quirk is at the helm, several other changes have been made to the rest of the coaching staff; and Quirk is ecstatic to start working with his group. Five of the six coaches including Quirk are new to the Pride, but all are familiar faces within the program, as he had high praise for all five of his assistants for the 2026 season.
Kevin Tierney was a crucial part of the team last season as an all-conference attackman, and will be an important piece as the assistant offensive coach. Tierney sees the field exceptionally well, and brings a dimension to the offense that’s needed.
“Kevin is going to be an even better coach than he was a player, which is a pretty high standard, but he’s done a great job recruiting with us too,” Quirk said.
Kaden Quirk is the defensive coach for Springfield after two years as a goalie with the Pride, and has the perspective of the game as a keeper, but his lacrosse roots run even deeper, being Quirk’s son. Sam Serrano is another recent Springfield men’s lacrosse alum and a volunteer assistant coach. Quirk mentioned Serrano as a “great guy and someone who will benefit a ton from the experience.”
The single returning coach is Jackson Lalonde, who has stuck around for all the right reasons.
“Jackson brings us that dual-role, specifically with face-off guys and our operations. Having a coach specifically for that in Division III is massive,” Quirk said. “He’s so organized with all the ops that as a head coach, I don’t have to worry about that.”
Chris Piatelli is the Pride’s only full-time assistant coach, and is a second head coach in a lens. The new offensive coordinator had been at Roanoke, MIT and RIT prior to joining Springfield, and brings loads of experience and insight to the offensive side of the ball. Both Quirk and Piatelli are eager to get going, considering the style of offense they want to install.
“I want to be free flowing, having guys put a ton of shots on-cage,” Piatelli said. “Just having guys playing multiple positions will really help too.”
In a lot of instances, coaches switching from level-to-level tend to struggle at first. Quirk already proved he can jump from Division III to the professional realm smoothly, and going back won’t be different for him. The 2015 New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Man of the Year has coached lacrosse pioneers such as Paul Rabil and Lyle Thompson, but for Quirk, the true difference in levels for his coaching philosophy is IQ.
“As a first-year player coming into college, the game is way faster for these guys,” Quirk said. “In order to slow it down, I have to give our team drills that only apply to real-game situations. Why would I give these guys scenarios that won’t help them in the future?”
Quirk is more than a coach; he’s a mentor and a committed member of Springfield as a whole. He’s surrounded himself with people who’ve helped him become successful, and the coaching staff that Quirk has right now is built to thrive.
In a lacrosse documentary released in 2022 titled Fate of a Sport, Rabil was on a phone call with Quirk after he got traded to the Cannons. Quirk was thrilled about the new addition, and it was so motivational that Rabil “hadn’t had a conversation like that in three years.” It’s a new era for Springfield lacrosse, and Quirk’s journey with the Pride has only just begun.