Andrew Lay is entering his third season on the Amherst College men's lacrosse coaching staff, and first as the offensive coordinator in 2016, after spending two years as an assistant at East High School, his alma mater.
During his two-year stint at East, the team made consecutive state playoff appearances. Lay, hailing from Denver, Colorado, also volunteered for Denver City Lax, a nonprofit organization for inner city youth that focuses on academics as well as growing the sport of lacrosse.
The Denver, Colorado native graduated from the University of Denver in 2011 where he earned a degree in International Business and Real Estate from the Daniels School of Business. Upon graduation, he was drafted 39th overall by the Denver Outlaws where he played for three years.
He began his collegiate career as a walk-on his freshman season and earned the respect of his teammates during his tenure. As a senior, he was elected team captain by his peers, a year in which the Pioneers hosted the first-ever NCAA tournament game west of the Mississippi River and made their first Final Four appearance in program history. Additionally, Denver won two ECAC Championships and three NCAA Championship appearances during his collegiate career. Lay was nominated for the Lowes Senior Class award in 2011 and finished his career ranked seventh all-time in Denver’s Division I record book for man up goals, tied for sixth in game-winning goals and finished with a 53.4 career shot on goal percentage.
“Andrew has been schooled by some of the finest minds in the game of college lacrosse. His experience as a player working with Bill Tierney, Matt Brown, Jamie Munroe, and John Torpey, all have shaped his passion for coaching individuals far beyond the game of lacrosse. He shares with us, philosophically, that coaching lacrosse extends well beyond the sewed lines on our turf," head coach Jon Thompson explained. "To make genuine connections, to think analytically about the game, about recruiting and to be creative about the methods he uses to teach are all important pieces to his philosophy that drew us to Andrew. We all couldn't be more excited to have him with us as we move forward.”
