Men's Lacrosse Head Coach Joe Ernst: Head Coach
Since he began the program in 2004, each season has seen improvement from the Saints. The recruiting classes have grown from 12 in the first year to close to 30 for the 2007-2008 school year. Each season has seen more wins than the previous. While the Saints ultimate short term goal is to make the regional playoffs, seeing progress in competitiveness and numbers each year is what building a program is all about. Coach Ernst believes that Championships will come if you do the right things to build a program year in and year out. The basic philosophy of Coach Ernst and the Saints program is not only building strong athletes, but also strong students and strong young men. The coaching staff works hard to ensure that not only do their student-athlete’s work hard athletically but also academically and in building maturity. “I strive to not only send these young men on to other programs from MNE better students and athletes, but also better men.” says Coach Ernst. Mercyhurst North East provides an opportunity for student-athletes to develop both their academics, for those with less than top grades coming out of high school. And, athletics, for those needing a year or two to mature on the field or that come from lesser recruited areas of the country. During his tenure as Head Coach for MNE, Coach Ernst has mentored eight All-WNYAC players, 12 All-Region players and ten Academic All-Americans. He has sent players on to play at all levels of four year college lacrosse including: St. Leo, Wingate, Belmont Abbey, Robert Morris, Hood College, Guildford College, Susquehanna, Seton Hill, Mars Hill, among others. This year he has sent his starting goalie of the last two seasons to the new program at University of Detroit Mercy to play D-I lacrosse on a full scholarship in the GWLL which contains teams like OSU, Denver, Air Force and Notre Dame. Ernst comes to Mercyhurst after spending the 2002-03 season as an assistant at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. Prior to that he spent a season with the Fairfax High School program in Fairfax, VA. He was invited to assist the try-out selection teams for the US National U-19 Men's Team at UMBC during the summer of 2002. Before that, Ernst was head coach at Buffalo State College during the 2000-01 seasons. Coach Ernst spent three seasons developing a program at Providence High School in Charlotte, NC winning a league championship in just his second year at the helm. Ernst was the head coach at Buffalo State College from 1992-1996 as well. During the summer of 2006 Coach Ernst was selected to be the Assistant Coach for the US Masters Team that participated in the World Lacrosse Festival in London, ONT. He has amassed a 112-75 record over his 16 years of coaching. Coach Ernst graduated from Siena College in 1992 with a degree in Finance, where he played attack for their D-I program. He has been playing the sport of lacrosse for 20 plus years being part of Bud Light of Charlotte, Buffalo Select Lacrosse Club and the Washington Masters Lacrosse Club. Phone: (814) 725-6392 |
Coach Ernst is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Mercyhurst North East men’s lacrosse team. 
