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Ryan Polley
Ryan Polley was named the inaugural head men's lacrosse coach at Boston University on June 21, 2012, and the program has continued to reach new heights in his 11 seasons at the helm.
Polley coached BU to its second Patriot League title game appearance in three years during the 2024 campaign. Six Terriers earned All-Patriot League and All-New England honors, with four of those players - Jake Cates, Roy Meyer, Patrick Morrison and Louis Perfetto - also garnering All-America accolades. The Terriers also earned their first-ever win over a top-ranked team, defeating No. 1 Army West Point at Nickerson Field. BU once again finished in the top five nationally in caused turnovers per game and opponent clear percentage while ending the year ranked sixth in assists per game.
During Polley's tenure at BU, 10 Terriers have earned a combined 25 All-America accolades, including two-time First Team All-American Roy Meyer. Polley has coached 38 All-Patriot League selections, six Major League Lacrosse draft picks, three Premier Lacrosse League draft choices and a pair of National Lacrosse League draftees. In addition, eight of his players have earned USILA Scholar All-America accolades and he has mentored 12 Academic All-Patriot League choices.
In 2023, the Terriers repeated as Patriot League regular-season champions, with seven Terriers claiming All-Patriot League honors. Nationally, senior LSM Roy Meyer became the first two-time First Team All-American in program history while classmate Vince D'Alto also earned All-America status for a second straight season. As a team, BU ranked in the top 10 nationally in six different categories, including first in both man-up offense and caused turnovers per game. BU was also second in assists per game and opponent clear percentage, seventh in ground balls per game and ninth in winning percentage after boasting a 10-4 record.
Polley led the Terriers to their first-ever Patriot League regular-season and tournament titles during a historic 2022 season, culminating in the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament. BU went 7-1 in league play during the regular season and earned the right to host the league's championship weekend for the first time, winning the conference tournament in front of a great crowd at Nickerson Field. Polley earned his second Patriot League Coach of the Year award and was named the New England Division I Coach of the Year for the third time in six seasons.
In 2022, three Terriers - junior Vince D'Alto, senior Matt Garber and junior Roy Meyer - were named All-Americans, with Meyer becoming the program's second-ever First Team All-American. Garber, along with seniors Matt Hilburn and Timmy Ley, earned USILA Scholar All-America accolades, while the Terriers boasted seven All-Patriot League selections, including a program-record five first team honorees. BU led the nation in caused turnovers per game for the second time in the last four seasons and also ranked third on the ride and fifth in ground balls per game. The Terriers also had a top-20 scoring defense and boasted the highest scoring attack trio in the nation.
In 2021, Polley guided the Terriers to a fourth consecutive Patriot League Tournament berth, as BU hosted a quarterfinal game for the third time in four playoff appearances. Two BU players - sophomore Vince D'Alto and freshman Christian Quadrino - were named to the All-Patriot League Second Team. He also coached the third-best riding team in the country, as BU held opponents to a 79.5% success rate on clears in 2021. Additionally, the Terriers were once again one of the best in the NCAA at forcing turnovers. They were ninth in the nation with an average of 9.27 caused turnovers per game, with sophomore Roy Meyer ranking third individually at 2.36 caused turnovers per game.
Despite the 2020 season ending earlier than anticipated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Polley had the Terriers trending in the right direction as the calendar shifted to March. BU finished February with a 3-1 record in its last four games, including a thrilling 13-12 comeback win at Colgate in the Terriers' lone Patriot League contest of the season.
For the fourth straight year, Polley coached an Inside Lacrosse All-American, as LSM Reece Eddy earned honorable mention accolades. Eddy tied for second in the country in caused turnovers per game (2.67) and tied for third in the NCAA with 16 caused turnovers. He also averaged 5.17 ground balls per game, which ranked second among NCAA defenders.
Polley was named New England Division I Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons thanks to a successful 2019 campaign. BU advanced to the Patriot League semifinals for the third consecutive year and hosted a postseason contest for the second time thanks to a 5-3 league record. He guided the Terriers to an 11-6 record, which was their second double-digit win total in three seasons. Among the 11 wins was an 18-11 triumph over No. 2 Loyola Maryland, which marked the first top-five victory for the Terriers in program history. Polley coached a top-20 defense (10.06 gapg) and a top-20 offense (12.59 gpg) in the country. The Terriers also led the nation in caused turnovers per game (11.71), were fifth in the NCAA in ground balls per game (38.06) and sixth in the country in opponents clearing percentage (.748).
A program-record four Terriers earned First Team All-Patriot League honors under Polley's guidance in 2019, including the program's first-ever Tewaaraton Award nominee, Chris Gray. Gray and senior James Burr were the highest-scoring duo in NCAA men's lacrosse at the end of the conference tournament play with an impressive 183 points between the two of them.
In 2018, Polley led the Terriers to their second straight Patriot League semifinal appearance. To get there, Polley guided BU to the program's first-ever victory over a top-10 opponent with a thrilling 12-11 victory at No. 10 Bucknell in the Patriot League quarterfinals. The Terriers also earned their first-ever preseason ranking in a national poll prior to the 2018 campaign.
For the second straight season, Polley coached a player to All-America accolades. Gray, the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, was both a USILA and an Inside Lacrosse All-American in 2018, setting single-season program records in both assists (40) and points (71). Polley also mentored Gray and senior Jack Wilson to All-Patriot League honors.
Polley was named the 2017 Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading the Terriers to their first-ever Patriot League tournament berth. Under Polley's guidance, the Terriers finished the conference schedule with a 5-3 record and concluded the regular season with a 12-5 mark, setting program records for most wins and fewest losses in a season. BU finished the regular season with a top-15 defense nationally and was ranked or received votes in at least one major national poll each week, rising as high as 15th in the Inside Lacrosse media poll. Polley was also recognized as the New England Division I Coach of the Year.
Polley coached six different players to All-Patriot League honors, including three first-team selections. Christian Carson-Banister was the league's Goalkeeper of the Year and he joined Cal Dearth as unanimous first-team choices. Dominick Calisto was a first-team defender while Greg Wozniak (LSM), Wilson (A) and Brendan Homire (M) all earned second-team recognition.
The Terriers won a program-record eight games in 2016 and posted their first-ever winning season at 8-7. BU bested its highest-ranked opponent to date, defeating then-No. 14/15 Harvard on the road, 9-8. The Terriers also knocked off then-No. 16 Navy, 10-9, in a thrilling double-overtime victory at Nickerson Field. Polley's squad received its highest-ever national ranking, reaching as high as No. 16 in both the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Cascade/Maverik Inside Lacrosse media poll.
2016 also saw the Terriers haul in several year-end honors. Sam Talkow was named Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Year, and he also joined Dearth on the All-Patriot League First Team. In addition, Greg Wozniak was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection. Under Polley's guidance, BU ranked third in the nation in caused turnovers per game (8.80), fifth in the NCAA in ground balls per game (32.47) and sixth in the country in faceoff percentage (.621).
BU enjoyed national recognition under Polley's guidance in 2015, improving to 6-8 overall after a 2-12 inaugural season. They received their first national ranking on March 23, 2015, slotting at No. 19 in the Cascade/Maverik Inside Lacrosse media poll. They also defeated then-No. 18 Colgate, the eventual Patriot League champion, by an 18-11 score on March 21 for the program's first win against a ranked squad.
The turnaround from the first year to the second year was extraordinary. In 2015, the Terrier offense ranked 23rd in the NCAA with an average of 10.71 goals per game, a marked improvement from the previous year in which BU was 61st (7.21). The Terriers also ranked sixth in the country and first in the Patriot League in team faceoff percentage (.637) in 2015. In addition, Polley led BU to a 6-2 record in its first eight games of 2015, including a four-game win streak.
Polley had previously spent six seasons (2006-12) as an assistant coach at Yale University, heading up the defense for the final four. In 2012, he helped the Bulldogs claim the Ivy League tournament title with convincing wins over perennial powers Cornell and Princeton, earning the program's first NCAA bid since 1992 in the process. Yale finished the year ranked 11th in the final USILA Division I poll.
Prior to his time at Yale, Polley was the head coach at Merrimack College - his alma mater - for three seasons (2004-06). He capped his tenure with the Warriors by being named the New England Division II Coach of the Year for the second time in three years after his squad finished with a record of 11-5 and a national ranking of eighth at season's end.
Once Polley took over the reins of the Yale defense, the results were remarkable. The Bulldogs recorded three straight 10-win seasons, beginning with a 2010 campaign that saw them earn a share of the Ivy title for the first time since 1990 and become the top-ranked team in New England. Five players received All-Ivy recognition this past season with three earning All-America honors as the Bulldogs strung together their longest win streak in over two decades.
Under Polley's charge, the 2011 Yale squad ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense (7.57) and third in caused turnovers (10.2) a year after being ranked 10th and sixth, respectively, in those categories.
As one of the youngest head coaches in the country, Polley guided Merrimack to back-to-back top-10 finishes in Division II (2005, 2006) while having his players sweep the New England player and rookie of the year awards in both of those seasons. His defense ranked fifth in the country in 2005 while his offense averaged 13.3 goals per game in 2006, good for eighth nationally. He also produced a pair of All-Americans, including the 2006 NCAA all-divisions point leader.
Prior to taking over the Merrimack post, Polley was the first-ever head coach for the girls' lacrosse program at Andover High School. His 2003 team went undefeated in the regular season and he compiled a record of 44-12-3 over the course of three seasons.
An All-American and a two-time All-Northeast-10 selection at Merrimack, Polley was a three-sport athlete for the Warriors, as he also played football and basketball in North Andover before focusing on lacrosse. He served as captain of the lacrosse team for three seasons and was a two-year captain in football as the squad's starting quarterback. A native of Downingtown, Pa., Polley attended Malvern Prep and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Polley graduated magna cum laude from Merrimack in 1999 with a bachelor's in business administration.
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