Men's Lacrosse 08-09

Denison University announced today the return of Michael Caravana as men's lacrosse head coach. Caravana, who guided the Big Red men's lacrosse program for 15 seasons between 1991 and 2004, replaces Matt McGinnis, who was named the associate director of athletics at Salisbury University in August.

The return to Denison marks a homecoming of sorts for the Caravana family. He began his collegiate head coaching career with the Big Red in 1991 and went on to post a record of 145-65 (.690), highlighted by five North Coast Athletic Conference championships, eight trips to the NCAA Tournament, and a pair of NCAA semifinal appearances in 1999 and 2001.

Since leaving Denison in 2005, he has served as the boy’s lacrosse head coach at Woodbury Forest School in Woodberry Forest, Va., and most recently had accepted the men's lacrosse head coaching position at Otterbein College. At Otterbein, Caravana was assigned the task of building a lacrosse program from the ground up, with the Cardinals not slated to hit the playing field until the spring of 2010. This made the decision to return to Denison a trying one for Caravana.

"After spending 15 years here, I am well aware that Denison is a unique and special place to be a teacher and a coach," says Caravana. "My family and I are thankful and excited to be back.  It was a difficult decision to move from my present position, but with many of my former players, parents, alumni, and colleagues encouraging me, it became more evident each day that returning to lead the Big Red was the right choice."

Caravana continues, "I am excited to reconnect with the Denison student-athletes and help them during their time on campus to be not only the best people they can be, but also to see how good a lacrosse player each can become. I am confident that with the caliber of student-athlete we can attract, we will be able to do things in a first-class manner in the classroom, on the field, and in the community that will continue to secure Denison’s place among the more elite lacrosse programs in all of Division III for years to come."

A 1983 graduate of the University of Virginia, Caravana was a four-time All-American attackman for the Cavaliers. He earned a bachelor's degree in education and was a captain during his senior season. Caravana led U.Va. in scoring three times and in assists all four seasons. Following graduation, Caravana spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Brown University, then returned to U.Va., where he served as assistant head coach under Jim "Ace" Adams before accepting the head coaching position at Denison in the fall of 1990.

Caravana ranks second at Denison in all-time victories, trailing only Tommy Thomsen who guided DU to 255 wins over the course of 25 seasons (1966-1990). Caravana is entering his fourth and final year as an assistant coach for the United States lacrosse team, which earned a silver medal at the 2006 International Lacrosse Federation World Championship.

A three-time NCAC Coach of the Year and the 1994 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year, Caravana is a member of the Long Island Metro Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Charlottesville Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Caravana and his wife, Ashlin, live in Granville with their three sons, Nicholas, 15; Sam, 13; and Wyatt, 10.