Pat Dutton ’99 has been hired as a new men’s lacrosse assistant coach on head coach Jeff Tambroni’s staff. He will fill the void left by the promotion of Ben DeLuca ’98 to the team’s top assistant position last month.
Dutton was a former All-America lacrosse midfielder at Cornell, serving as captain for both the 1998 and 1999 campaigns. He was a first team All-Ivy selection in both of those seasons, finishing his career with a total of 118 points. In 1998, Dutton was named a USILA All-American, becoming the first Cornell midfielder to do so since 1990. As a sophomore in 1997, Dutton was named the Red’s most valuable player, while also receiving the annual Joe Philip Memorial Award. This award is given to the player that has the most impact on the overall team effort.
“He [Dutton] is extremely athletic. He is one of the most athletic midfielders I have ever had the opportunity to coach,” said Tambroni. “He’s a hard worker and a joy to be around.”
Tambroni had the opportunity to coach Dutton during his tenure as Cornell’s assistant coach in 1998-99. Dutton, along with recently promoted DeLuca served as co-captains in Tambroni’s first season. DeLuca went on to become the second assistant coach for the Red in 1999 and 2000. He then rejoined the coaching staff last year. His relationship with Dutton on and off the field contributed to the hiring.
“Pat was one of the best players to ever play for Cornell,” said DeLuca.
After the end of his career at Cornell, Dutton played in Major League Lacrosse for the New Jersey Pride and Rochester Rattlers in the 2001 and 2003 seasons, respectively. Dutton has also worked in the financial sector in both Chicago and New York City. In January of 2002, Dutton founded the Next Level lacrosse camp in Chicago and Cincinnati. The camp teaches lacrosse to boys and girls between the ages of eight and 18. Dutton has served as camp director since its founding. He hopes to expand the camp’s operations to other cities in 2004.
“Pat’s pro-playing and Cornell careers will bring needed experience to the team and will help players take the next step in lacrosse,” said DeLuca. “His attitude and ability to relate to our guys is going to be a great factor for the team. He can give them an idea what it’s like to play in the pros, while underlining the fundamentals.”
In order to fill the vacancy, Tambroni conducted a full search within the NCAA. He received responses from many well-qualified and experienced applicants, but in the end decided on Dutton because of his familiarity with the Cornell system.
“I wanted someone with a passion for Cornell — someone who can relate with Cornell lacrosse players,” said Tambroni. “I approached him because I thought he would be a fantastic coach and a great role model. I think his youth, enthusiasm, and experience will be extremely valuable immediately.”
Having worked together in the past, Tambroni, DeLuca, and Dutton have laid the foundation for tremendous coaching success. DeLuca will be responsible for running the defense, while Tambroni and Dutton will organize the offensive attack.
“We will have tremendous chemistry as a coaching staff, which will hopefully reflect on our team’s success,” said Tambroni.
Archived article by Bryan Pepper