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Following three years on the USILA Board of Directors, Mariano has been tabbed to lead the organization as its president on a two-year term.
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, USILA is an association of member institutions and organizations with college lacrosse programs at all levels of competition, including the three NCAA divisions and non-NCAA schools at both the varsity and club levels for men and women.
"It's an honor to represent all the schools and players in college lacrosse," Mariano said. "The USILA traces our lacrosse history back to 1882. I would like to thank Gene McCabe for his tireless work as president, he has been a tremendous ambassador for the USILA.”
Mariano, entering his seventh year, was chosen to head USILA after leading the Setters to an overall 57-35 record and the team’s first-ever berth into the NCAA Tournament in 2017 the same year he was also named the Northeast-10 Conference’s co-Coach of the Year.
Pace was ranked in every USILA National Poll last spring, reaching as high as No. 6 in mid-March. Following the season, Mariano was chosen as one of the coaches for the USILA Senior All-Star Game, where he coached two of his own players who were selected to the squad.
In addition to his duties at Pace, and his work with the USILA, Mariano also serves as an assistant coach for the MLL’s Chesapeake Bayhawks. He was also named the 2017 MLL Coach of the Year when he led the Florida Launch to their first-ever playoff berth.
According to Pace, “Mariano has a distinguished background as both a player and coach throughout his career. He was the assistant head coach, director of player personnel, and defensive coordinator from 2013 to 2015 for the Ohio Machine of Major League Lacrosse. Mariano helped lead the Machine to their first playoff berth in franchise history in 2014 before earning another playoff appearance with the best season in franchise history in 2015.”
Mariano also spent 17 years coaching for Sacred Heart University as the head coach, assisting with the program’s transition from Division II to Division I.
Pace officials noted that Mariano’s teams have excelled both on the field and in the classroom, with last year’s team earning the NE10's Team Excellence Award, which is awarded to the school with the highest cumulative GPA in the conference (3.17).
Pace Director of Athletics Mark Brown said Mariano’s new position as president of USILA was “well deserved and would help raise the profile of Pace University’s Athletics program.”
“Clearly, the leadership of USILA is as impressed with Tom’s dedication to the sport and his record of excellence as we are here at Pace University,” said Brown. “We are extremely proud of this achievement and congratulate Tom and USILA on the choice.’’
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