Unique Experiences

Item Description

At a mutually agreed upon time in either April 2025 or the Fall of 2025 be the VIP guests of the Harvard Men's Lacrosse team and staff at one of their official practices. Meet with Harvard Men's Lacrosse Head Coach Gerry Byrne and his coaching staff, see how they approach preparing for their season and say hello to the team.

Take advantage of the unique opportunity to see how one of the top teams in the country prepares for competition! Get your own private, behind the scenes look into the staff's approach and strategy.

This experience is for up to two (4) people. Per NCAA recruiting rules, this is open to kids in Grade 8 or younger only (plus adults) at the time of the practice visit.

Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Gerry Byrne

Gerry Byrne became Harvard's 18th head coach in program history when he was named The Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard Men's Lacrosse on July 1, 2019, and enters his fifth season in 2024.

The Crimson secured five wins, including a massive upset win over the No. 4 Cornell Big Red during the 2023 season in Byrne's fourth season. Byrne coached up a defensive unit that finished among the best in the nation in a number of different categories. Under Byrne's mentorship, Harvard had the third-best ride in the nation, holding teams to a .789 clearing percentage. Additionally, the defense finished fourth in the nation with 10.5 caused turnovers per game while the man-down defense allowed only nine goals all season, and finished as the best man-down unit in the Ivy League. Byrne also coached five players who earned All-Ivy honors and two players who landed on All-New England teams after strong seasons in 2023. 

Byrne's third year of leadership brought great success for the Crimson. For the first time since 2014, Harvard earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. En route to its postseason success, Byrne led the Crimson to an 8-5 overall record and 3-3 Ivy League mark. Of those eight victories, four were over ranked opponents. Harvard had a consistent presence in the national rankings, reaching its highest ranking of the season at No. 10. Byrne coached five All-Ivy League selections and three All-NEILA honorees, including Greg Campisi who was named an All-American by USILA, Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine. Under Byrne's leadership, Harvard concluded the season ranked third in the nation in caused turnovers per game (10.08), 18th in groundballs per game (33.62) and 32nd in points per game (19.54). 

The Ivy League/Harvard canceled the entire 2021 season due to COVID-19. Three of Byrne's recruits from the Class of 2024 were named to Inside Lacrosse's Power 100 Incoming Freshmen Rankings list.

In his first year at the helm, Byrne led the Crimson to a 2-2 overall record before the Ivy League/Harvard canceled the remainder of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Byrne coached six USILA Scholar All-America honorees and recorded one win over a ranked opponent with a 10-9 victory over No. 19 UMass in its season opener.  Byrne’s leadership drastically improved the Harvard defense in 2020, which saw Harvard’s goals against average (GAA) improve from 14.78 to 11.25 GAA, moving from 71st in Division I to 37th. Under Byrne’s tutelage, Harvard’s man down defense improved from 41st in the nation, to fourth, giving up just one goal in four games.

Byrne arrived in Cambridge from Notre Dame where he was an assistant coach for 16 seasons, covering two stints. His first stop in South Bend, Indiana, was from 1989-91, before returning in 2007. In between, Byrne served as head coach at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, from 2003-06.

Byrne helped the Fighting Irish to 14 NCAA tournament appearances (including 13 straight), 11 conference titles (regular season and tournament), and an overall record of 170-78 (.685). More impressive was the impact Notre Dame, which earned one of eight national seeds in 11 of the last 12 years, had once in the NCAA field as it reached the quarterfinal round or later on 10 different occasions, twice earning a spot in the finals (2010, 2014).

Over his final 13 seasons at Notre Dame, Byrne helped tutor 62 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-Americans, with 15 of those selections earning first-team honors, and 13 USILA Scholar All-Americans. During Byrne's tenure, UND was also awarded the USILA Kelly Award (most outstanding goalie in NCAA Division I) twice and the USILA Schmeisser Award (top defensive player) three times.

Byrne's work did not go unnoticed as he was named the 2011 Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year and was on the top coaching staff at the conference level three times, winning the coaching-staff-of-the-year award in the Great Western Lacrosse League twice (2007, 2009) and once in the Big EAST (2012).

Under Byrne's watch, Notre Dame was one of the top defensive teams in the country. The Fighting Irish finished among the top five nationally in scoring defense seven times in the last 13 seasons, producing the nation's stingiest group in 2009 and 2012. The 2012 club also boasted the best man-down defense in Division I. In his final season in South Bend, Notre Dame finished the 2019 campaign ranked 14th in scoring defense and ninth in clearing percentage.

Additionally, Byrne helped the Fighting Irish hold its opponents to seven goals or fewer in 50.2 percent of their games (103-of-205) since the start of the 2007 campaign and limited its foes to four goals or less on 19 occasions.

While at Saint Anselm College, Byrne guided the Hawks to 16 victories with the 2005 squad setting the program record for lowest GAA, face-off winning percentage and ground balls in a season.

Byrne played lacrosse collegiately at UMass Amherst, graduating cum laude in 1986, with a degree in economics. A two-year starter and an All-New England defenseman as a senior, Byrne helped the Minutemen to the 1986 NCAA quarterfinals.

From Amherst, Byrne went on to enjoy a successful playing career. He was a four-time All-United States Club Lacrosse Association member and invited to the U.S. National Team tryouts three times (1989, 1997, 2001). Byrne, who earned his master's degree from Notre Dame, also collected All-Lake Placid Classic honors 11 times and was a nine-time All-Vail Shootout performer.

In 1991, he was drafted by the New York Saints of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and played for the franchise in 1992. Byrne was later selected by the Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL and helped them to the 1997 championship. Three years later, Byrne came out of retirement after the Boston Cannons drafted him and ultimately led the team to consecutive MLL Final Four appearances.

Byrne in 1999 was inducted into the New England Chapter of the United States Lacrosse Hall of Fame and was named the 2001 New Hampshire High School Coach of the Year while directing Souhegan High School.

Outside of lacrosse, Byrne made his presence felt in other aspects of athletics, serving as managing director at Kiltegan Marketing Group, which is an integrated sports marketing services company. He was also the director of marketing at Cybex International and Brine, a major manufacturer of lacrosse equipment. He additionally owns the Premier Players Lacrosse Camps and founded the Texas Top-99.

A native of Levittown, New York, Byrne was an All-Long Island Catholic League lacrosse player at Chaminade High. He is married to Dr. Tracy Byrne and the couple has three children, Rory, Pierre and Brandon.

Item Special Note

Item must be redeemed at a time to be mutually agreed upon by the Harvard Men's Lacrosse coaching staff and winninng bidder. 

Per NCAA recruiting rules, this is open to kids in Grade 8 or younger only (plus adults) at the time of the practice visit.