The 2026 season marks Pat Gress's 30th season as the men's lacrosse coach at Swarthmore.
Gress became the program's all-time wins leader with the Garnet's 16-8 victory versus Eastern University on February 19, 2025. He picked up win No. 181 to surpass Avery Blake Sr., who had held the record since 1959. Swarthmore went on to post its third straight campaign with double-digit wins, finishing 12-5.
The 2024 campaign was a historic one for the Garnet. Swarthmore went 15-3 to set a new school record for victories and also ran the table in the Centennial Conference regular season with an 8-0 mark. The Garnet went on to grab their second straight NCAA Tournament bid and recorded their first tourney win in program history with a 14-9 triumph over Endicott College. Swarthmore was nationally ranked by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association every week during the season and the Garnet acheived its highest slot in school history, coming in at No. 4 in late April. Gress and his coaching staff were honored for their extraordinary season with the 2024 IMLCA Coaching Staff of the Year award.
The Garnet posted their best campaign in over three decades in 2023, totaling a program-record 14 victories and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1984. Swarthmore also made its first appearance in the Centennial Conference final. The Garnet recorded a thrilling 12-11 overtime victory over fifth-ranked Gettysburg, marking the highest-ranked opponent the squad has defeated in school history. Swarthmore was ranked as high as 14th during the season as the staff took home Centennial Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Gress, a 1991 graduate of Towson University, has improved the program's fortunes in recent years, producing seven consecutive winning seasons entering 2024. The run started with a 12-6 mark in 2016, the Garnet's first winning record in eight years. The campaign also marked Swarthmore's first-ever appearance in the Centennial Conference tournament and Gress was named the league's Coach of the Year for his efforts. That season, the Garnet also claimed the ECAC Mid-Atlantic title.
In 2017, Swarthmore earned another berth to the conference tournament after winning its final three Centennial games, including two in overtime. Gress has had four teams (2000, 2003, 2008, 2016) selected to compete in the ECAC Tournament.
At Towson, Gress was a history and secondary education major, four-year varsity letterman, and winner of the James Saxon Memorial Award for Outstanding Leadership. Upon graduation, he assisted North Harford High School in Harford County, MD, from 1991 to 1993. From there, Gress assisted Franklin & Marshall College for two years, helping the team reach the NCAA Tournament in 1995.
Gress received a master's degree in administration from West Chester University in 2000. He also teaches physical education classes.
Gress currently serves on the USILA Regional All-American Committee and has chaired the Centennial Conference Men's Lacrosse Committee (2005-11), coached the 2003 North-South Senior All Star Game and served on the Regional Advisory Committee for NCAA Tournament Selection.
