Story courtesy of Messiah Athletics

GRANTHAM, Pa. – This week, the Messiah University Athletics Department named Jerry Standford as the new head coach of the Messiah University men's lacrosse program. Standford previously coached the men's lacrosse at Messiah from 1997-2005. Standford steps back into his role as head coach on August 4 after spending the past three seasons at Trinity High School in Camp Hill.
 
Standford started his coaching career at Messiah University, transitioning the club lacrosse program to NCAA varsity status in 1997. Standford led the Falcons until 2005 and finished his first coaching stint with the Falcons with an 89-46 overall record. Under Standford, the Falcons won the program's only two MAC Championships and led the Falcons to two NCAA appearances. The Falcons also finished with 13 wins in 2004, which is still the highest win total in program history in a single season.
 
As before mentioned, Standford recently coached at Trinity High School in Camp Hill. During his three years as head coach, Trinity went 64-10 with three Keystone Conference Titles, two Mid Penn Championships, two PIAA District 3 Championships, and the PIAA State 2A Runner-Up in the 2025 season. 
 
Standford has also helped coach at multiple spots, including Dickinson College for two seasons. He also helped coach central Pennsylvania Youth Lacrosse in 2021 and 2022. He also coached numerous programs at Watertown Immaculate Heart Central School in Watertown, New York from 2006-2019. Standford also helped as an assistant coach at Messiah during the 2019 season.
 
From Jerry Standford, "I am incredibly honored to be selected as the next men's lacrosse coach at Messiah University.  I am extremely grateful to Sarah Gustin-Hamrock and the Selection Committee for providing me the opportunity to rejoin the Messiah community. Messiah is a truly special place, and it's a privilege to once again serve the University and its student-athletes.  I look forward to continuing the strong tradition of Falcon lacrosse and building on the program's proud legacy both on and off the field."
 
From Executive Director of Athletics, Dr. Sarah Gustin-Hamrock, "We are thrilled to welcome back Jerry Standford as the head coach of Messiah Men's Lacrosse. We had the unique opportunity to bring Coach Standford back to Messiah after being away for a number of years and I am so excited that he has agreed to return. Coach Standford helped lay the foundation for our program's success and he brings unparalleled experience, passion, and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field. His return marks an exciting new chapter, and we look forward to building on Messiah's legacy of excellence under his leadership."