Tommy Pearce enters his third season as the men's lacrosse head coach after joining the Bombers in July 2023 as Ithaca College's sixth head men's lacrosse coach in the program's illustrious history.
In his first season at Ithaca, the squad posted an 8-8 record, which included a season-opening 12-10 victory over eventual NCAA qualifier St. John Fisher University. During the 2025 season, Pearce helped guide Ithaca to a 10–9 overall record, including an impressive 8-1 mark at Higgins Stadium. The Bombers returned to the postseason for the first time since 2021, defeating Skidmore in the opening round of the Liberty League Tournament before falling to nationally third-ranked RIT in the semifinals. The team earned four All-Liberty League selections and had two players named Honorable Mention All-Americans by USA Lacrosse.
Pearce came to the South Hill after spending the past five seasons (four playable seasons) as the head coach at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. Pearce was the first coach at Allegheny as the Gators officially began competition in 2020 and went from one win in that inaugural season to eight victories during the spring of 2023, with a trip to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament.
Prior to starting the program at Allegheny, Pearce was tasked with revitalizing the men's lacrosse team at Frostburg State from 2009-18. Frostburg returned to the field in 2011 and within two years, won more than 10 games, including a program record 16 in 2015. Pearce was named Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2015, and the Bobcats would be nationally ranked in 2015 and 2016.
Pearce began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Gettysburg College, where he served as an assistant coach from 2005-09. He has also served as an NCAA Site Representative numerous times and was an NCAA Committee Member, holding various positions (USILA voting member, Division III South Region ranking committee and the USILA All-American committee).
As a student-athlete at Gettysburg, Pearce was a two-time All-American and team captain for the Bullets as a junior and senior. Gettysburg reached the national championship game in 2001, as Pearce would later go on to play in the North-South All-Star Game. He would be inducted into the Gettysburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020 and was selected to the Centennial Conference Silver Anniversary Team in 2018.
He received his bachelor's degree in English from Gettysburg in 2001 and earned his master's in exercise science and physical education with an athletic administration concentration from McDaniel College in 2009.
7/17/2025
