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Frank Fedorjaka
After two stints as an assistant coach at Bucknell spanning nearly a decade, Frank Fedorjaka took over as the head men's lacrosse coach in 2006 when he succeeded longtime mentor Sid Jamieson. In 2011, Fedorjaka guided the team to its first Patriot League Tournament title and second NCAA Tournament appearance; since then, he has cemented Bucknell’s status as an annual Patriot League title contender and national top-20 program.
Fedorjaka became only the second head coach in Bucknell lacrosse history, following in the footsteps of Jamieson, an IMLCA and Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer who founded the varsity lacrosse program in 1968.
In his 17 seasons since taking over for Jamieson, Fedorjaka has fashioned a stellar 144-96 (.600) record, including a 65-45 (.591) Patriot League ledger. The Bison have won nine or more games in 10 of his 17 seasons, including a program-record 14 in 2011, 12 in 2013 and 11 in 2018. They have also qualified for the Patriot League Tournament 13 times, including 10 years in a row between 2007 and 2016.
Including a five-year stint as head coach at Franklin & Marshall from 1994 to 1998, Fedorjaka owns a 183-127 (.590) lifetime record.
In 2013, Fedorjaka’s squad achieved a No. 6 national ranking, the highest in program history, buoyed by a 9-8 upset of No. 2 Cornell in Ithaca in March. The team finished 12-4 and advanced to the Patriot League championship game before just missing an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament despite a final RPI ranking of 12.
In his first season at the helm, Fedorjaka led the Bison to a historic victory over No. 1 Maryland — the program’s first-ever over a top-ranked team — and another top-20 road win at Penn State later in the season. The victories really began to start pouring in during year No. 2, as the Bison went 11-4, including three top-20 wins, and came within one of the school record for wins in a season. Another 10-win season followed in 2008, and the Bison advanced all the way to the Patriot League championship game for the first time.
In 2009, Fedorjaka was named Patriot League Coach of the Year for the first time after leading the Bison to a perfect 6-0 conference record and the Patriot League regular-season title. His team made it to the championship game for the second year in a row, this time dropping a one-goal heartbreaker to Navy.
In 2010, the Bison took second-ranked and eventual national champion Duke to overtime, and they again qualified for the postseason. Bucknell finished 8-6, with the six losses coming by a combined seven goals.
In 2011, the Bison finished 14-3, setting a new school record for wins in a season. They went 6-0 in the Patriot League for the second time in three years and routed Lehigh and Colgate in the PL Tournament before entering the NCAA Tournament with a No. 7 national ranking, the highest in program history at the time. Bucknell nearly upset eventual national champion Virginia in the first round, leading for most of the game before falling 13-12 in overtime. Fedorjaka was rewarded with his second Patriot League Coach of the Year award.
In 2018, Fedorjaka captured his third Patriot League Coach of the Year award after Bucknell posted an 11-4 (7-1 Patriot League) record and shared the Patriot League regular-season title with Loyola and Navy. The Bison reached the double digits in victories for the sixth time in his tenure as head coach and went an impressive 5-1 against nationally ranked opponents, which included road upsets of then No. 3 Yale (9-8 OT), the eventual national champion, and then No. 6 Loyola (12-11). Bucknell's number of victories represented a six-win improvement from 2017, when the team went 5-8 (3-5 Patriot League) and had its streak of consecutive Patriot League Tournament appearances snapped at 10 seasons. Like in 2013, the Bison narrowly missed out on an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Following the 2018 campaign, Will Sands and Sean O'Brien, who were two of six All-Patriot League honorees, were selected as All-Americans; Sands was tabbed as a Third Team All-American by USILA and Inside Lacrosse while O'Brien was recognized as an Honorable Mention All-American by USILA. In addition, a program-record four Bison were selected in the 2018 MLL Draft: Sands (Boston Cannons, 3rd round), O'Brien (Dallas Rattlers, 5th round), Matt Gilray (Denver Outlaws, 5th round) and Connor O'Hara (Denver Outlaws, 6th round); Gilray later became the third overall pick of the Buffalo Bandits in the 2018 NLL Draft.
In 2022, Bucknell shattered its school records in goals (203), assists (127) and points (330), bolstered by having Dutch Furlong (36g-20a-56p), Alston Tarry (32g-21a-53p) and Patriot League Rookie of the Year Connor Davis (45g-7a-52p) all eclipse 50 points individually. The previous standards of 179 goals, 108 assists and 287 points were all set 10 years earlier in 2012. Notably, Davis became the sixth Bison to net at least 40 goals in a single campaign; the standout freshman's 45 strikes were good for second in school history.
Known throughout his career as one of the college game’s best defensive minds, Fedorjaka’s teams annually rank among the national leaders in scoring defense, man-down defense and riding efficiency. Bucknell ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring defense in 2007.
During his tenure as head coach, Fedorjaka has mentored 66 All-Patriot League players and 10 All-Americans, including three-time All-American Austin Winter. He has also coached five Patriot League Rookie of the Year selections, one Defensive Player of the Year and one Goalie of the Year. That goalie, Nick Sciubba, led the nation in save percentage and goals against average in 2007. Twelve of Fedorjaka’s student-athletes were selected in the Major League Lacrosse Draft, including a program-record four in 2018.
Fedorjaka rejoined the Bucknell lacrosse family after serving as head coach at Franklin & Marshall for five years. Fedorjaka served as an assistant coach at Bucknell for the 1992 and 1993 seasons before going to F&M.
In Fedorjaka’s five seasons at F&M, the Diplomats compiled a 39-31 record. His 39 wins placed him in second on the school’s all-time lacrosse wins list.
In 1995, Fedorjaka was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association’s Division III Coach of the Year after leading the Diplomats to a 12-3 record and an NCAA playoff berth. In addition to his responsibilities as men’s lacrosse coach, Fedorjaka also served as an assistant coach in football and women’s soccer during his tenure at F&M.
Also while at F&M, Fedorjaka served as the Chair to the Southern ECAC Lacrosse Committee in 1997 and 1998. He served on the USILA National Ranking Committee and NCAA Advisory Committee for Division III lacrosse.
A 1989 graduate of Hobart College, Fedorjaka was a starting long-stick midfielder on three NCAA Division III national championship teams. He was also a three-year starter at wide receiver for the Statesman football team, earning All-America honors in 1988. The Rochester, N.Y., native was named Hobart’s Athlete of the Year in 1989. During his career at Hobart, he held all reception records and remained the school’s all-time leading receiver until 2004. Fedorjaka began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for two years at Springfield College (Mass.).
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