Frank Vitolo
Assistant Coach

Phone: 3851
Email: frank.vitolo@liu.edu

A veteran lacrosse coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, Frank Vitolo enters his 10th season as the program’s top assistant and defensive coordinator.
       
“Frank is one of the top defensive coaches in the nation,” says Head Coach John Jez. “His hard work and dedication has continued our program’s winning tradition and without him we would not be at the level of competitiveness we are at today.  His game preparation is unmatched.  LIU Post lacrosse is blessed to have his guidance and leadership.  I do not know what we would do without him.”
       
Prior to joining Jez’s staff, Vitolo was an assistant with the New Jersey Pride of the Major League Lacrosse from 2002-05 and also spent eight seasons on the coaching staff at Northeast-10 member Pace University. Vitolo served as the Setters’ head coach from 2000-02 and his team was nationally ranked during that time.

In 2013, Vitolo's defense sported a conference-leading 5.47 goals against average. LIU Post's scoring margin was 5.50, good enough for second in the nation.

In 2011, Vitolo’s defense posted a 5.28 goals against average, which is the best in the program’s history.  Erik Boyd (Second Team), Dan DaCosta (Second Team), Jason Cranmer (Second Team) and John Wood (Honorable Mention) each earned USILA All-America recognition.
       
In 2010, Vitolo was the architect of a defensive unit that posted a 5.88 goals against average (second-best nationally) and the best mark for a Pioneer defense in over 39 years (1972 - 5.75 goals against average).  Under his leadership, Joe Blount (First Team), Richard Schmidt (First Team) and Bryan Leonard (Second Team) all earned USILA All-America honors.
       
Vitolo’s defensive unit posted a 6.19 goals against average (second-best nationally) in 2009. LIU Post held 15 of its 16 opponents to fewer than 10 goals.  Under Vitolo’s guidance, defensemen Bryan Leonard (First Team), Joe Blount (Second Team) and Jon Kology (Honorable Mention) were named to USILA All-America teams.
       
In addition, Vitolo was bestowed the 2009 Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association for his outstanding work in helping the Pioneers capture their second national title.
       
In both 2007 and 2008, Vitolo’s defensive teams ranked among the best in NCAA Division II statistical categories.  The 2007 team was fourth in scoring defense (7.85 goals per game) and fourth in man-down defense (81.9 percent stoppage).  His 2008 defense was fifth in scoring defense (6.79 goals per game) and eighth in man-down (75 percent stoppage).
       
Over the last 10 seasons, Vitolo has coached 13 defensive All-Americans at LIU Post. Among those honored are four First Team selections Rob Blount (2007), Chase Safarowic (2007), Bryan Leonard (2009) and Joe Blount (2010); eight Second Team selections Bryan Leonard (2008, 2010), Joe Blount (2009), Dan DaCosta (2011), Erik Boyd (2011), Jason Cranmer (2011), T.J. McAndrew (2013) and Robbie Chiocco (2015); three Third Team selections T.J. McAndrew (2014), Robbie Chiocco (2014) and Matt Scalera (2015) and Honorable Mention selections, Jon Kology (2009), John Wood (2011) and Justin Woodley (2015).
       
A longtime resident of Somers, N.Y., Vitolo spent over 20 years as head coach at Lakeland High School, where he accumulated more than 300 victories.  During the summer of 1990, Vitolo coached the Hudson Valley boys’ lacrosse team to a gold medal finish at the Empire State Games.
       
He is a member of the Lakeland High School Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1995.
       
Vitolo received his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 1972 from Ithaca College. While at Ithaca, Vitolo competed for the wrestling and lacrosse programs.
       
Vitolo and his wife, Kathi, are the proud parents of daughters Nicole, Kim, Sara and Katy. They currently reside in Babylon, N.Y.



 

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