Derrick Eccles enters his sixth season as an assistant coach with Siena Men's Lacrosse for the 2024 season.
2023 marked a highly successful year as Eccles helped lead the Saints to the MAAC Championship Game for the first time since 2014 as the team earned its most victories (nine) since the team last won the MAAC title that same season. Along their playoff journey, Siena defeated top seeded (RV) Manhattan 11-8 at Riverdale's Gaelic Park in a MAAC Semifinal. And, for the first time in program history, Siena hosted its first postseason game at Hickey Field and defeated #5 Sacred Heart 13-11 in a MAAC Quarterfinal. It also marked the first time since 2014 that the team had won a postseason game.
Four student-athletes were named to the Men's Lacrosse All-MAAC Teams. Junior defense
Trevor Marsala was selected to the All-MAAC First Team while All-MAAC Second Team honors went to junior defense
Brian Mack, graduate student midfielder
Christian Watts and graduate student goalkeeper
Christopher Yanchoris. Marsala also became the first player in program history to be named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) squad as he was one of 13 total selections across the Northeast to be honored. Watts was selected for the United States Intercollegiate Association (USILA) Senior All-Star Game at Cabrini University in Radnor, Pa. Additionally, Yanchoris was the first player in program history to be twice named a USILA Division I Scholar All-American.
The Saints once again achieved a high GPA collectively as the team earned the USILA Team Academic award for a second consecutive season (3.35 term GPA and 3.27 cumulative GPA). 21 student-athletes on the team earned at least a 3.5 GPA for the spring team and four were named to the College Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-District Team including
Jack Erb,
George Rusnak,
Pratt Reynolds and Yanchoris.
In 2022, Eccles helped the Saints reach the Metro Atlantic Conference Championships as the No. 4 seed, the first such earned postseason achievement since 2014. Siena went 6-9 overall with a 3-3 mark in conference play.
With Eccles' assistance, five student-athletes received recognition onto the All-MAAC Teams. Reynolds took home three postseason honors, most recognizably the MAAC Rookie of the Year. Reynolds becomes the first player in program history since
Bryan Neufeld in 2009 to win the league's Rookie of the Year honor, and fourth overall winner. Reynolds also took home All-MAAC Second Team Attack honors, as well as a selection to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Graduate student
Jack Kiernan took home an All-MAAC First Team Attack selection, while Marsala (defense),
Nick Pepe (short stick midfield), and Yanchoris (goalkeeper) all took home All-MAAC Second Team honors.
Eccles aided in coaching a pair of Saints to First Team All-MAAC honors and one MAAC All-Rookie Team selection in 2021.
Despite the 2020 season being shortened, Siena collected a pair of non-conference wins over LIU and NJIT, both coming at home. The Saints finished the season fifth in the nation in caused turnovers per-game (10.33) and saves per-game (14.83).
Eccles helped guide the Saints to a 6-7 record in his first year with Liam Gleason, and saw four players earn All-MAAC selections.
Eccles joined the Saints from crosstown UAlbany, where he served the last two years as a volunteer assistant coach. Eccles, a 2016 graduate from UAlbany and four-year letter winner, served as the team's representative in the USILA North-South Game his senior season. The 2013 America East All-Rookie Team midfielder was a team captain in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, earning 45 points, off 29 goals and 16 assists, 62 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers in 61 career games played.
In his career, Eccles helped UAlbany win four America East regular season titles and three America East Tournament titles, helping the Great Danes earn berths in four NCAA Tournaments and two NCAA quarterfinal rounds. He was part of a senior class that earned 53 victories from 2013-16.
