program was suddenly competing directly with big-time football schools like Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State that can pour resources into their lacrosse programs.
The Jays have gone 49-38 since joining the Big Ten ahead of the 2015 season. Pietramala says winning at the highest level is every coach’s expectation, but the realities of the current lacrosse landscape suggest that national title contention is more cyclical than in the past.
“What’s happening in our sport is resources are poured in,” Pietramala said. “When I played, there was no Duke. Georgetown wasn’t who they are now. Princeton wasn’t the same. Now … there’s Notre Dame, there’s Denver, there’s all these other schools. That’s what you’re seeing is you’re seeing growth, and with that growth comes more parity.”
Pietramala, whose head coaching career began at Cornell (1998-2000), says he wants to continue coaching but that his priority right now is to “take a deep breath, be a better dad because I’m around [more], be a better partner for my girlfriend, and then wait and see what unfolds.” Pietramala’s sons, Dominic and Nicholas, attend Boys’ Latin, and the twins were set to begin their sophomore seasons with the Lakers before spring sports were shut down.
Pietramala said his sons will remain at Boys’ Latin regardless of whether he ends up coaching locally or not. Eventually, would Pietramala want to coach at his sons at a yet-to-be-determined college? He joked that it didn’t go well when he helped out at a club practice one time, but the answer is yes.
“It would be my dream to have an opportunity to coach my two sons, but what’s most important is what’s best for them and what they want,” Pietramala said. “We’ll see if they have the good fortune of being able to play at that level and they have those opportunities, but I look forward to being around them a little bit more right now, enjoying them. They’re here with me right now. We’ll see where this thing takes us.
